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If there is a meeting between the two former colleagues, it seems it will be at the Parc des Princes and there are every reason to believe that it is possible.
It’s been more than three years since Paris Saint-Germain stunned the football world by acquiring Neymar and Kylian Mbappé in the same transfer window.
The Ligue 1 club may continue to be associated with generous spending, but it has not signed a statement since.
However, in just a few months that could change, with six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi on the verge of becoming a free agent.
Out of contract next summer, and apparently still unhappy with Barcelona despite the departure of President Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Argentine is suddenly a realistic target.
Neymar would undoubtedly love to team up with his old Camp Nou teammate, with whom he formed two-thirds of the famous forward ‘MSN’ who in 2015 shot the Blaugrana to a triplet.
In fact, it was Brazil’s ace who sparked speculation about Messi’s possible arrival at Parc des Princes when he said ESPN Argentina after Wednesday’s 3-1 victory in the Champions League against Manchester United: “Playing with him again is what I love the most, taking advantage of him continuing to play.
“I want to play with him again, that’s for sure. Next year, we have to do it. “
Neymar joked that Messi could take his place in the team, but he took the possibility of re-teaming with his South American compatriot very seriously.
The Selecao star pressured the club to try to sign the attacker over the summer before it became clear there were too many financial hurdles to overcome amid the pandemic.
It has been speculated that Neymar could be aware of something that is still a secret from the general public, given that the couple are still such good friends. In reality, however, he was probably just trying to pressure sporting director Leonardo to reestablish contact with Messi and his representatives.
Neymar has some influence in this situation. With his deal in 2022, PSG want to keep him happy by tying him to a long-term contract.
Signing one of the greatest players in history to dribble a ball would not be a small price to pay financially, but it is certainly not out of the bounds of possibility for PSG, who could make sacrifices elsewhere in their team to create space for Messi on your team. paysheet.
Ángel Di María’s contract will expire in the summer and, although he has been a good server for the club, he does not operate on the same football plane as his compatriot.
If the time comes, Mbappé might even be one of those allowed to leave.
Real Madrid yearn for the World Cup winner, while the 21-year-old attacker has long made it known that his ambition is to follow in the footsteps of his hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, starring in the Santiago Bernabéu.
His contract is also in a delicate position and, with Messi on the market, it might make sense in the medium term to cut his losses on the Frenchman.
Of course, it has already been spoken vertiginously in Catalonia that Neymar will return to the Camp Nou, but mathematics makes such an idea impossible.
Barcelona have been instructed by the Spanish league for almost half their salary spending, and Messi is only ready to put tremendous pressure on those figures. Throw Neymar and the dizzying salary he commands into the mix and it seems downright unrealistic.
Although the story is going to rumble for weeks, if not months, it seems unlikely that anything will become clearer before Barcelona fill the void left by Bartomeu.
The Catalan club’s election will take place on January 24, with Messi being an ally of two of the main candidates. He remains close to Joan Laporta after the businessman’s previous term as president, while Víctor Font has made no secret of his plan to convert Barça icon Xavi, who shared the pitch with Messi for many years, the club’s next coach.
Despite these ties, Laporta has admitted that the 33-year-old’s situation is precarious.
“I think he better stay,” said the former director Radio Catalonia. “But it will not be easy in the current situation of the club, which makes it difficult to compete with other very powerful offers.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has declined to comment on speculation linking his club to arguably the best player in history, but one can be sure he is closely following developments at the Camp Nou, and Barça interim president Carles Tusquets declared again on Friday that Messi’s departure last summer would have been “for the good of the club” from a financial perspective.
This tug of war threatens to have lasting implications at the top of the European game. It’s something that Barça can’t afford to lose either, with the club in the midst of its worst negative spiral since shortly before Pep Guardiola was appointed manager in 2008.
For PSG, meanwhile, Messi would represent a signing that would mark a new era in the club’s history, four years after the start of the previous cycle.
At a time when the Parisian club is struggling to stay relevant among Europe’s heavyweights after a difficult start to the season, Messi’s landing could represent his biggest blow yet.
