Barcelona have finally confirmed the departure of Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain, which means the club double its efforts to sign a replacement.
One of the options which has come to the fore in recent days is Neymar. The Brazilian international is one of many candidates Barça are considering in their bid to replace Dembele.
To that end, a recent report from MARCA has offered a detailed report on Neymar’s prospects of returning to Camp Nou ahead of the new season.
Neymar keen Barça move, but Xavi an obstacle
As per the report, Neymar is determined to return to Barcelona, as he looks to take the next step in his career.
If it were only up to him, the Brazilian international would be dressing up as a Blaugrana tomorrow to face Getafe in the team’s season opener.
However, Xavi Hernandez has proven to be a major thorn in his side. The Barcelona coach has not been supportive of the Brazilian’s return to Camp Nou.
Even though Xavi shared the dressing room with Neymar at Barça for two years, he prefers other options in the market.
It has taken Xavi a while to build a positive and impactful mindset in dressing room. He does not want to risk breaking the harmony by signing a controversial figure like Neymar.
The Spaniard believes Bernardo Silva can be the ideal replacement for Dembele. Barcelona, though, have hit obstacles in their bid to sign the Man City star.
How should Barcelona work out this deal?
Neymar’s return to Camp Nou won’t be a straightforward process. Even if Xavi ends up giving the approval, there are other matters that must fall in place.
For starters, Neymar must secure a termination of his contract with PSG. While negotiations are said to be going on, the French champions are reluctant to leave him for free and would want some fee.
If it does happen, Neymar must admit Barcelona has a very different environment than the one he is used to. He also must take a hefty pay cut in order to accommodate himself to the club’s wage structure.
Barcelona do not mind handing him a modest salary package, provided it falls under the club’s structure, but La Liga is likely to intervene in the event of a radical salary cut.
A deal with PSG sharing some of his wages could be an option, but Les Parisiens would not agree to such a proposal. There has been talk of Neymar moving to Saudi Arabia before arriving on loan to Barcelona, but the process is quite complex.
Both parties, therefore, must coordinate meticulously if they are to complete Neymar’s fabled return to Catalonia this summer.
