According to reports coming out of Spain, a return to Barcelona is on the table for Neymar. While these rumors are nothing new, the latest claims are being pushed by Mundo Deportivo and Sport, with the two Catalan news outlet revealing two separate reasons as to why the Brazilian will leave PSG.
Firstly, Mundo claim that the world’s most expensive player will push for a Ligue 1 exit due to his “unsustainable” relationship with sporting director Leonardo. The pair were not on the best of terms after the Selecao ace’s attempts to force a move over the summer but recent unfolding has made things worse.
The 28-year-old recently criticized the higher-ups after their Champions League defeat against Dortmund, accusing them of refusing to play despite, in his eyes, being fit to feature. This has allegedly upped the tensions at the Parc des Princes.
On the other hand, Sport explain how Neymar can terminate his contract and force a dream return to the Camp Nou. According to them, he is a main priority for the Catalan giants; however, should the Spanish giants fail to agree a deal with the French champions, Neymar could go to FIFA in order to terminate his contract.
This FIFA rule is available for players who have completed three years or three seasons of their contract, a “protected period”, only if they signed their agreement when they were younger than 28. Neymar ticks the latter condition and will complete his third season in Paris by the end of the current campaign. World football’s governing body would decide the financial compensation that must be paid to Les Parisiens for breaking his contract.
Mundo argue that it will cost $200M to bring the South American ace back to Barcelona but according to Sport, Neymar’s legal team believe that should they go down the FIFA route, they would be forced to pay only $190M in compensation. This fee is supposed to be paid by the player seeking to terminate his contract but the club he ends up joining can cover the cost.
As for Barcelona, their interest in resigning the former Santos sensation is no secret. He has the backing of Lionel Messi, who is eager to welcome him back to Barcelona, while president Josep Maria Bartomeu sees this as a crucial move to boost his odds of being reelected amid all the controversies.
