Revealed: How close Neymar came to rejoining Barcelona as La Liga giants missed out on Brazil superstar & Lionel Messi in the same transfer window

Neymar wanted a return to Barcelona over the summer, unlike Lionel Messi, but sporting director Deco says a deal was never really close.

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• Most expensive player in football history
• Endured a tough time in France
• Headed to Middle East instead of Spain

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazil international forward left Camp Nou when completing a record-breaking €222 million (£193m/$235m) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. Neymar had spent four years in Catalunya prior to that and never hid the fact that he would have liked to retrace professional steps at some stage.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With PSG prepared to part with supposed superstars in 2023 – as Messi departed for Inter Miami as a free agent after being linked with a move to Barca – an exit door opened up for Neymar. He stated a desire to head back to La Liga, but he ended up joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Co in Saudi Arabia when signing for Al-Hilal.

• TRUE OR FALSE?

  Deco has told when asked if a swoop for Neymar was ever on the cards for Barca: "There were conversations with his manager. This was much more with the president, but the truth is that the situation was never presented in a real way and how it could be done. We have the issue of Financial Fair Play that dictates a lot, but Neymar's situation was never concretely stated. The numbers… we know Neymar had a very high salary, he had offers from clubs in Saudi. It was very difficult to get Neymar back in the current scenario. He is a fantastic player. Obviously he would fit into Barcelona, but there was never a real possibility, apart from the desire he had to return from Barcelona."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Neymar claims that he and Messi experienced “hell” during their time in Paris, with a demanding fan base never truly won over. That is because Champions League glory proved elusive, with Ligue 1 titles not considered to be enough for a club that has invested heavily on some of the finest players in world football.