‘Next year we have to do it’: Neymar expresses desire to meet up with Lionel Messi

Neymar enjoyed four successful seasons alongside Lionel Mesi in Barcelona before moving to PSG. AFP

Neymar dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he went on to score two goals for Paris Saint-Germain in their 3-1 Champions League win over Manchester United by revealing his desire to meet Lionel Messi next season.

The Brazilian enjoyed four successful seasons alongside the six-time Ballon d’Or winner in Barcelona before moving to the French capital for a world record of € 222 million ($ 264 million) in 2017.

“It’s what I want the most, to enjoy being with him again on the pitch,” Neymar, whose contract with PSG runs until 2022, told ESPN.

“I want to play with him for sure, next year we have to.”

Neymar was strongly linked to a return to Barcelona in 2019, but the Catalan giants were unable to finance an acceptable offer by PSG.

Barça have had to agree to pay cuts worth 122 million euros in the salaries of the players this season to help compensate for the economic hole left by the coronavirus pandemic and it is highly unlikely that he will be in a position to bring Neymar back next year.

Instead, it is Messi who could be on the move as the Argentine is out of contract at the end of the season and publicly expressed his desire to leave in August.

The then president of Barça, Josep Maria Bartomeu, would not release Messi from the last year of his contract at the Camp Nou, but since then Bartomeu has resigned with new presidential elections scheduled for January 24.

Manchester City were the favorites to get Messi’s signature earlier this year, but PSG could be an alternative for a player turning 34 at the end of this season.

“He can play in my position, no problem,” joked Neymar. “Ask me out.”

Neymar’s partnership with Kylian Mbappé has yet to hand over the first Champions League title to PSG, but the French champions should have another chance in the knockout stages this season after a vital victory in Manchester.

Thomas Tuchel’s men are now tied on points with United and RB Leipzig with one game in Group H to come.

But PSG are in the driver’s seat as they host the already-eliminated Istanbul Basaksehir next week, while United travel to Germany needing a point to reach the round of 16.