Neymar had his say on a potential Messi reunion earlier this year
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Messi is ACTUALLY leaving Barcelona – no, really this time. So, understandably, social media is going bananas and trying to figure out where’s next: PSG? City? America?
Pause the GIF to choose Lionel Messi’s new club pic.twitter.com/iHVJEPRRAU
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 5, 2021
That being said, one player who’s already sounded where the 34-year-old’s next destination should be is an old teammate and one-third of the infamous ‘MSN’ forward line. Here’s a hint: it’s not the one who bites people.
Neymar left Barcelona back in 2017 to go arguably step out of Messi’s shadow, arriving in Ligue 1 for a world record transfer fee of approximately $222 million. Though he’s certainly enjoyed himself during his time there, winning the league title every season bar one, there always seems to have been part of the narrative (or at least in Barcelona‘s) that wanted him back in Catalonia.
However, with Messi seemingly on the move (unless there is one less incredible twist in the tale) and his future having been in doubt for some time now, Neymar had made his thoughts clear on the matter.
Speaking to ESPN earlier this year, Neymar said, “What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch”. He also seemed to put an end to the suggestion that needed to move elsewhere to shine, adding: “He can play in my place, I have no problem with that. But I want to play with him next year, for sure. We have to do it next season.”
To make matters all the more speculative, just hours before Barcelona announced that he would not be renewing his contract (they don’t have the money to finance any of their new signings anyway), the 29-year-old posted this picture on his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSIfvIpoldY/
Of all the clubs that could have been in for him, City may have ruled themselves out of it after signing Jack Grealish for £100m, especially if they are looking to get Kane as well.
That being said, could this announcement have derailed those plans and if so, would they really be able to afford Messi as well? For us, it seems there are only two clubs in and they both involve oil.
