Messi did not know about Neymar’s departure until the last moment

Neymar’s departure in the summer to PSG was the beginning of a disastrous transfer window for Barcelona. At the very start of the window, the Catalan giants were after PSG’s Marco Verratti for around 80 million.

But not only could they not get the Italian, Barcelona had to helplessly watch as the French side swooped in and snatched away their heir to Messi.

Neymar’s departure was met with huge surprise as no one could have imagined that the Brazilian would leave the Catalan club.

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But he did and apparently he left Messi in the dark over the move. Speaking in a recent interview, Lionel Messi claimed that he had no idea that Neymar would be leaving until the very last moment.

“Until the last day of the tour we were talking and we didn’t know anything. He said that he still wasn’t clear what to do and he didn’t know what he was doing. Others said they knew. But right until the last minute, we were speaking to him.”

Luis Suarez did not have any idea either what would happen to his Brazilian friend. At Barcelona, Messi, Suarez and Neymar had formed one of the most destructive trios in world football as the three South American kings destroyed every team that they faced.

Which is why Suarez tried desperately to convince Neymar to stay at the club.

“We tried to get him to stay but at no time did we say ‘Ney, don’t go because you will not be happy’,” he told Sport.

“We told him we didn’t want him to leave, for us, but if he wanted to leave, he was free to make the decision he wanted. Because of the friendship we have, it was painful that he left.”