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The futures of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Neymar are once again making headlines across the world after the Brazilian announced his desire to play with the Argentine again.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was asked about both players in his pre-match press conference on Friday and did not shy away from giving an answer. The Dutch coach was asked if he saw both stars playing together at Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain and answered, “As a club, you always have to try to have the best players here.”
Koeman was then asked if he would like to coach both players at Barcelona and responded, “I don’t like to speak about individual cases but what I’m saying is that as a culé, as a player and coach, I want to have the best players in the world.”
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Koeman Hits Back at Barca Over Messi
The Barcelona boss then went on to discuss Messi’s future in the wake of controversial comments from Carles Tusquets. The interim president has said it would have made economic sense to sell Messi last summer and Koeman offered his thoughts on the captain.
We know about Leo’s situation. If there is any person who has to decide his future, it is him. Comments from outside do not interest me. But if we make comments within the club it does not help us. We cannot control the comments from outside. But from within it is different. The Tusquets thing maybe his opinion but I don’t think it is necessary. Leo has this season with Barça and that he decides his future; I hope it is here.
Neymar’s comments have fuelled speculation Messi could leave Barcelona for free in the summer and join his former team-mate in Paris. Journalist Daniel Riolo has told RMC Sport, “Messi will be at PSG next year. I am very serious. Messi will be at PSG next year.”
PSG Chief Refuses to Discuss Messi
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has, unsurprisingly, been asked if his club are planning to land Messi in the summer in the wake of Neymar’s bombshell. Yet Al-Khelaïfi was giving nothing away about his club’s transfer plans.
According to Sport, the president was asked directly by French journalist Cyril Hanouna and responded by saying only, “Messi is a Barcelona player, I cannot speak about that.”
Messi was linked with a move to PSG earlier this year. However, his agent and father Jorge Messi angrily hit out at the report and branded it “fake news” on social media.
The Barcelona captain is expected to wait until after January’s presidential elections to make a final decision on his future. Meanwhile, Neymar has decided he will renew his contract with PSG if they sign Messi, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Brazilian’s current deal expires in 2022 and he is determined to play with Messi next season. The duo played together for four years at Barcelona and enjoyed great success together until Neymar made the shock switch to PSG in 2017.
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