Barcelona 'Believe' They Can Complete Neymar Deal Despite Exorbitant Asking Price & Salary Demands
Barcelona 'believe' they can secure Neymar's return to the club this summer, despite the various financial challenges that mean the move is bordering on becoming nonviable.
The Brazilian left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain for a world record £198m fee two years ago, in a bid to break out of the shadow of Lionel Messi, but a combination of injury and disciplinary issues mean that, even with 51 goals in 58 games for the Ligue 1 champions, he has flattered to deceive.
He is believed to be unhappy in France for a multitude of reasons, and has done everything in his power to force through a move back 'home' to Barcelona. It's a move the Blaugrana are keen on, but according to Marca, there are several factors to consider that complicate the potential deal.
The first issue is, of course, the transfer fee, with PSG asking for €250m to complete the deal. Barcelona feel as if his market value has only fallen since his move to Paris, due to his performances, off-field issues and injury record, and note that PSG made the player available for sale without their hand being forced.
All that means Barcelona would not pay more than €200m to sign him for a second time. They would also require that he takes a pay cut from the €36m per season he earns at present, with financial issues and a current exorbitant wage bill meaning Barcelona can't afford that sort of salary.
Furthermore, it is believed that the only viable option for Barca to get the move done is to either first offload players to raise funds, or to include players in the deal in order to bring the price down - with Philippe Coutinho the obvious option for the latter.
Despite all of this, however, the report notes that Barcelona 'believe' they can move some pieces around to force a deal. They think his desire to return to the club and once again work with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez could aid their prospects, regardless of how difficult negotiations may prove to be.
