Lionel Messi wants Neymar back at Barcelona | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has asked Barcelona’s hierarchy to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou, two years after the Brazilian left for Paris Saint-Germain.

That’s according to French outlet RMC Sport, who also report that Messi may not get his wish because of PSG’s extreme reluctance to sell.

Barça had been expected to sign Antoine Griezmann this summer after the French forward announced his decision to leave Atlético Madrid last month.

Ernesto Valverde is said to be keen on the World Cup winner but it seems the club’s interest has cooled amid rumours that the Barça dressing room remain unconvinced.

Messi would reportedly prefer to be reunited with Neymar and in an interview with Fox Sports this week, the Argentine superstar revealed he is still in regular contact with his old team-mate.

“I have a WhatsApp group with [Luis] Suárez, Neymar and me. Neymar is a phenomenon,” said Messi.

“We still talk. The group is called something South American… the three ’sudacas’, something like that…”

The LaLiga champions are reportedly ready to cut their losses on Philippe Coutinho this summer and there are suggestions they could also sell Ousmane Dembélé to make room for a new forward player.

Neymar would perhaps be interested in a return to Catalunya but RMC say PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists the player is happy in the French capital, and they have no intention of letting him leave.

What this all means for Griezmann is currently unclear. Barcelona had seemed his most likely destination and there would appear to be little serious interest from any other club at the moment.

The way things are going, the 28-year-old may well find himself heading back to Atlético with his tail between his legs.