Chelsea transfer news: The Blues will move for Neymar if Manchester City sanction key deal this summer.
Barcelona have had their transfer dreams shattered in the space of just days after Lionel Messi ruled out a return to his former club. Following the announcement that he had played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine fielded offers from across the world.
"I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm missing some things, but we decided to continue on the path. If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family. I really wanted, I was very excited to be able to return [to Barcelona], but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again - waiting to see what was going to happen.
"I heard that they had to sell players or lower players' salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that."
"I really like Ney as a friend, but we have different priorities," Xavi continued. With Barcelona out of the way it could open the door to Chelsea and ambitious owner Todd Boehly once more. Even without Champions League football, Boehly is keen to add a superstar name to his squad and was reportedly also dreaming of making Messi that man.
With him out of the way, Neymar is left in an uncertain position. There is history between the two parties, as well, with Boehly reportedly meeting with PSG chiefs earlier this year in order to discuss Neymar and the possibility of signing him. It is also believed that there is existing Premier League interest in the player from unnamed clubs.
His future may well depend on Manchester City's own transfer decisions as a triangle of business emerges. It is said that PSG have their eyes on Bernardo Silva this summer and Barcelona are unable to match them having also been hopeful of securing the Portugal star.
The move also raises the chance of a reunion with Mauricio Pochettino. The new Chelsea manager worked with Neymar between 2020 and 2022, scoring 21 times and assisting 16 in 47 matches.
"It’s so easy with Neymar because you don’t need to do too much," Pochettino explained of working with the world superstar. "From day one, he’s been very open to work. He’s very humble, he listens and always accepts all the instructions in a very good way.
"Brazilian players have something special inside. They love to play football because it’s like a dance. They play like they are dancing.
"Ronaldinho was my teammate when I was a PSG player and now Neymar. They need to feel good, to feel happy to perform in the best way."
1broh
93
This is why Messi rejected Al-Hilal’s offer 😭