Lionel Messi admits Neymar wants to return to Barcelona. The Brazilian left the club in 2017 for a World record sum to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi claims that his side are currently not good enough to win the Champions League. However, he believes the return of former teammate, Neymar, will transform the club into an all-conquering once again.
Also read: How long will the N’Golo Kante be out for?
The Catalonian club were linked with the Brazilian all through the summer. However, the pursuit yielded no results and Neymar is still a PSG player. This though, hasn’t stopped Lionel Messi from speaking of his desire to reunite with his fellow South American.
Lionel Messi admits Neymar wants to return to Barcelona
Lionel Messi made a very open admission about his disappointment at Neymar’s departure from the club but admitted that the Brazilian was itching for a comeback.
“It bothered me at the time and we tried to convince him not to do it” Messi told Mundo Deportivo.
“But we all want to win and have the best players around us. He’s one of the best players in the world and he brought a lot to the team. But it’s understandable that people would see it as leaving in a bad way.”
“He is desperate to return and has always appeared to regret his decision. He did a lot to come back and that would be the first step in making it happen. Neymar was always fine at Barca, performing at a very high level. He’s a different type of player who is difficult to stop one-on-one and scores goals.”
Messi also praised his compatriot Lautaro Martinez and called him a complete player.
“He’s spectacular. He’s got a lot of impressive qualities. I can see he’s going to become a great player; he’s exploded on to the scene now and is showing what he’s capable of. He’s very strong, beats his man and scores goals. He’ll fight with anyone in the box, holds on to the ball, and can produce moments by himself. He’s got a lot of quality and is a very complete player.”
When asked about a possible partnership between Luis Suarez and Martinez in the future, Messi said:
“It would be incredible to all play together. I hope that they could all come here and we could fight for everything, including the Champions League. Lautaro has a lot in common with Luis, both are ready strong and use their bodies well, holding on to the ball. They both score goals too. They are very similar.”
Both Neymar and Lautaro Martinez have been heavily been linked with Barcelona. It is very likely that the club will move for both or at least one of the two next summer.
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