Mueez Ajao
– Joan Laporta has said Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Lionel Messi’s only chance of returning to Barcelona would be on a free transfer.
– The Barca president said it would make “no sense” to pay money for players that both previously played for the club.
– “Who doesn’t like Ney?” Laporta told L’Esportiu when asked if he is a fan of the forward following reports he could come back to Barca.
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– “He is an exceptional player, but he has [three] years on his contract with PSG. He is effectively enslaved to money.
– “The only way he could come back to Barca is for free. It would be irrational to pay a transfer fee for a player you have already had.
– “Leo left how he left. We would allow have liked him to end his sporting career here, but because of [LaLiga’s] fair play rules and because of PSG’s offer, it was not to be.
– “If he wants to return one day, it would have to be for free. And the technical staff would have to decide if he fits the new project or not.”
– Neymar, 30, signed a new deal with PSG last summer but his long-term future at the club has come under scrutiny following Kylian Mbappe’s decision to sign a contract extension.
– Mbappe would like a more balanced squad than what is there now given their lack of success in Europe, while the French club’s owners have not been satisfied by his performances or his lifestyle.
– Neymar has been at PSG since 2017, when the Ligue 1 champions paid a world record transfer fee of €222 million to activate his release clause and prise him away from Barcelona.
– Messi, who will turn 35 in June, has one year to run on his contract in Paris after joining from Barca last summer.
– Any decision on his future beyond then will come after the World Cup, which he will compete in with Argentina later this year.
– Barca, meanwhile, sources have told ESPN, are pursuing other attacking targets, with coach Xavi Hernandez recently confirming interest in Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
– The Catalan club are also keen to sign a winger given the possibility of losing Ousmane Dembele, who is yet to sign a new contract with his terms up on June 30.
– Leeds United’s Raphinha is one option, but a move for him has been complicated by the English club’s Premier League survival. If they had been relegated, a €25m release clause would have kicked in.
– However, any transfer business will first be depending on Barca bringing in cash to make room within their LaLiga-imposed spending cap, with Laporta rallying against the Spanish league’s regulations.
– “We don’t have any support from LaLiga,” he added. “The fair play rules are too restrictive and demanding compared to other countries and it’s a handicap.
– “We respect the rules, but feel they are too strict compared to other countries. We are talking with LaLiga about this, but they don’t seem to budge from their position.
– “There are operations we are working on to improve the accounts, but LaLiga, instead of helping, try to harm us. It really surprises me.”
