FC Barcelona and French side Paris Saint-Germain have always seemed to maintain tense relations between themselves, as several players over the years have donned the jersey of the other in operations that have not always been conducted with the best of interests.
One particular player that will always be associated with both for the record-breaking transfer that followed his name is Brazilian star Neymar Jr. Once a hero of Barcelona and a part of arguably the greatest offensive trident ever assembled in football, his departure to PSG in 2017 has left many mouths soured.
However, from time to time, reports have emerged that the now 31-year-old would like to move back to the Catalan giants following a move to France that did not exactly turn out as the former Barcelona winger had hoped for it to.
Now, as yet another opportunity presents itself to Barcelona to bring back their Remontada hero, the club remains divided on the topic of bringing Neymar Jr back according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
On one end, the board of the club as well as the higher-ups consider Neymar’s arrival to be one that would be a significant economic benefit due to sponsors as well as a great new attraction in terms of image and appeal for the club that would likely bring in more tourists and even more people to fill the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, where Barcelona will play next season.
However, they remain a bit skeptical as to whether he would provide great sporting advancements within the side given that his record in PSG has been unreliable due to both injury issues as well as periods of rather mediocre displays as well compared to the days of his prime.
On the other hand, Xavi Hernandez and the sporting staff believe that the Brazilian remains a generational talent that possesses the innate ability to conjure up magic and win games by himself at times. However, they consider the more important aspect to be the unity and balance within the locker room.
According to the sporting staff and the Barcelona coach, Neymar Jr is the kind of talent that can at times be a bad influence within the locker room and could distort the harmony that took so long to establish, one that allowed the Catalan giants to win both Spanish Super Cup and La Liga last season.
Furthermore, Barcelona would need more than just the player’s willingness to come in order to facilitate his arrival. The club would need the player to be willing to decrease his salary demands by more than half, since he already has one of the most lucrative deals in European football with PSG, but also for his current club to accept a low-cost transfer or simply a loan deal.
