Lionel Messi wanted Neymar to return to Barcelona

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi would be "thrilled" if Neymar returned to the Catalan side but insisted they could still win trophies without the Brazilian. In an interview with the Catalan newspaper Sport this week, Messi said the return of Neymar, who was at Barca from 2013 and 2017 when he left for Paris Saint-Germain, could only strengthen the Spanish champions. "I would be thrilled if Neymar came back," said the Argentine. "I understand that not everyone agrees. That's normal after everything that happened around Ney, the way in which he left, the way he abandoned us.

"But when you look at the sporting angle, for me Neymar is one of the best players in the world and obviously would improve our chances of getting the results we want."

The summer transfer window saw an on-off soap opera surrounding the 27-year-old's apparent desire to leave PSG, who paid a world record 222 million euros (USD 264 million at the time) in 2017, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both linked.