It is no secret that Barcelona wanted to bring back Neymar to Barcelona. The last time they lifted the Champions League was when the Brazilian was plying his trade at Camp Nou alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, forming the deadly MSN trio, and thus his departure left a huge hole at the Blaugrana.
One man who was eager to be reunited with the Selecao ace was Messi. The Argentine reportedly informed the board that he wanted the former Santos sensation back at Camp Nou and even preferred his former team-mate over their now summer signing Antoine Griezmann.
And France Football – yes, THE France Football – report that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner even revealed to Neymar when he will leave Barcelona in a plea to bring him back. This occurred after Barcelona’s humiliating 4-0 loss at Anfield which saw them bottle a 3-0 first-leg lead to lose 4-3 on aggregate in last season’s Champions League semi-finals.
After the game, Messi reportedly sent Neymar a desperate message to Neymar begging for him to return. The 32-year-old allegedly admitted that only with them together, playing side by side, can the Catalan giants end their wait for a European trophy. Furthermore, he confessed to the 27-year-old that after two years he will be gone and the Brazilian will be his successor, the main man at Camp Nou. If true, Messi would not be a Barcelona player come the 2022 World Cup.
This is one of the reasons why the PSG ace headed to Ligue 1. Winning the Ballon d’Or and being recognized as the best in the world would have been almost impossible while playing alongside Leo and thus he left to step out from under his shadow.
However, things have not gone according to plan in Paris. Yes, he has enjoyed tremendous domestic success but Neymar was bought to win the Champions League and PSG have failed to do so. After attempting to force a summer move, the player is no longer loved by the fans and is tipped to leave at the first opportunity.
Whether he will return to Barcelona is unknown. Whether Messi actually sent this message to the Brazilian is also unclear, but the France Football report makes for an interesting one nonetheless.
