Neymar Move Hits New Snag as Barça President Opts Out of Meeting PSG Counterpart
As has become commonplace, a new update on the future of Neymar has arisen mere hours since the last, this time casting further doubt over his proposed move to Barcelona after the club's president Josep Bartomeu opted out of traveling to the European Club Association (ECA) summit in Liverpool.
One of the attendees for Thursday's meeting is Paris Saint-Germain president is Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, and it was reported earlier that his Barça counterpart was to attend the event, with the pair set face face-to-face talks that would resolve the Brazilian's future within 48 hours.
In keeping with the whole saga, there's been (another) twist. Mundo Deportivo have now claimed that Bartomeu has decided against traveling to Merseyside, instead preferring to accompany the Barcelona players as they jet off to Bilbao for their La Liga opener on Friday - with a lawyer present on his behalf.
Bartomeu's decision comes off the back of a meeting held in Paris on Tuesday, which was a direct contact between club officials from both parties, as they continue to look for ways to thrash out a deal ahead of the 2nd September transfer deadline.
A face-to-face meeting between the two presidents was set to accelerate proceedings, but while Barça's president has had a change of heart on traveling to Liverpool, Mundo Deportivo add that a deal is still being worked on.
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What Bartomeu's absence signals, according to the report, is a necessity from the player himself to push for an exit. Neymar's desire to return to Catalonia is clear, but the Spanish outlet claim the 27-year-old needs to escalate his departure and rule out Real Madrid as an option.
Furthermore, it's reported that PSG have essentially set their guidelines for a transfer, with Philippe Coutinho, Nelson Semedo and an undisclosed amount of cash supposedly what the French side are seeking in order to wash their hands of the troublesome forward.
Expect further updates within the hour.
