Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez made his feelings on Neymar’s potential return to the club perfectly clear as the Brazilian now looks set to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Mirror Football exclusively reported in April that Neymar could leave the Parc des Princes this summer after six seasons at the club. While there has been interest from the Premier League in his signature, that has not been backed up with any approaches to the French club.
There has also been the Brazilian’s ongoing reported feud with attacking teammate Mbappe. The superstar duo fell out over the order of penalty-takers last season in a Ligue 1 clash and the futures of both players has been in the spotlight in recent months – although Mbappe is likely to stay in Paris beyond this summer.
Neymar, 31, suffered another campaign blighted by injuries last time out. One of the club’s top earners who carries a high status, he remains the most expensive player in the world following his £198million switch from Barcelona in 2017.
The Brazilian has netted 118 goals in 173 appearances for the French club but there has been a lingering sense that he has failed to hit the huge expectations that many predicted due to his world-record price tag and failure to land a European title in Paris.
L’Équipe reports that the Brazilian has reached an agreement with Al-Hilal, who are financed by the country's PIF (Public Investment Fund). A lucrative two-year deal has been agreed with the 31-year-old and a move is now thought to be so advanced that medical tests are being arranged.
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It comes despite heavy links that Neymar could return to the Catalan giants, six years after he left the club for the French capital. That is because Barca have lost attacking star Ousmane Dembele, who has ironically joined Paris Saint-Germain – six years after the Frenchman was a de facto replacement for Neymar at Barca.
Xavi was against the transfer, and a report in Marca claimed that he told Dembele to try to persuade him against a move: ‘Look at what has happened to Neymar’. It was a clear indication that the Barca boss believed the Brazilian had regressed following his world record transfer.
Neymar had formed part of Barca’s famed attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, whom Xavi played alongside – until he ended his lengthy spell as a Blaugrana star in 2015, two years before Neymar’s exit.
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