London: Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona could part ways with Antoine Griezmann in order to bring back Neymar from Paris Saint Germain, according to a Sky Sports report.
Barelona have long wanted to bring Brazil forward back into their fold after he left them to join French heavyweights PSG in 2018.
PSG value Neymar at €150m while Barca value Griezmann at €100m, says the report as quoted by ESPNFC. France World Cup winner Griezmann has not been at his best form in his first season in Spain and selling him could aid the Lionel Messi-led side fund their summer spending. Barca seem determined to sell Griezmann even if PSG don’t agree to the deal, though the current market might prevent such hefty deals from happening, given how many clubs are struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the report further said.Meanwhile, Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has recently said the players will take a 70 per cent pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic and make additional contributions to ensure non-sporting staff receive full wages.
In a statement, Barca skipper Messi said: “Before going any further, we want to make it clear that we were always willing to reduce our salaries because we understand perfectly that we are in an exceptional situation. We, as players, are always here to help the the club when they ask.”Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17.
He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores, with the latter being Santos’ first since 1963. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, and soon relocated to Europe to join Barcelona.
As part of Barça’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and finished third for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015 for his performances.
He then attained a domestic double in the 2015–16 season. In 2017, Neymar transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in a move worth €222 million, making him the most expensive player ever.
In France, he won two league titles, a Coupe de France, and a Coupe de la Ligue, which included a domestic treble and being voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year, in his debut season. Neymar’s second season with PSG was injury-riddled and marked by controversies. With 61 goals in 101 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar is the third highest goalscorer for his national team, trailing only Pelé and Ronaldo. (IANS)
