Is Neymar on the verge of a return to Barcelona?

The rumour linking Neymar with a return to Barcelona just won’t go away. Earlier this summer it was reported that Xavi turned down the chance to re-sign Neymar. Even last week, as Ousmane Dembele was busy planning his exit from Barca to PSG, reports linking Neymar with a move back to Camp Nou, again it was believed that Barca was the one to turn down the option.

Today there is a report in Mundo Deportivo which references some sources in Qatar confirming that the Brazilian forward will wear the Barcelona shirt again, 6 years after leaving the Spanish club in a controversial fashion.

Mabkhout Al-Marri, a well-connected journalist who was the first to report that Leo Messi was heading to Inter Miami has confirmed that Neymar will be heading back to Spain. Shortly afterwards, Neymar removed PSG from his social media channels adding further fuel to the fire.

Al-Marri is well connected with PSG through the Qatari ownership, and MD also report that he has a ‘friendly relationship with Joan Laporta’, president of Barcelona.

Neymar has unquestionable quality, but is he a fit for Barcelona?

Although Neymar is on the wrong side of 30, his quality is unquestionable. He’s coming off a season with PSG where he scored 13 times and registered 11 assists in just 20 games.

The issue with Neymar is based on his influence within the dressing room, or to be more precise his perceived negative influence.

Nobody is better placed to judge that than current Barcelona manager and former Neymar teammate Xavi.

With Ousmane Dembele set to move to PSG, it’s opened a hole on the right side of midfield…and recent sources within the Catalan club referenced a ‘bomb’ signing before the transfer window expired. Neymar would certainly fit the agenda as a major signing.

Neymar is an exciting option, he’s also a big risk for a squad trying to cultivate that positive dressing room environment.