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Former Barcelona scout Andre Cury, who was the man who helped bring Neymar to the Camp Nou from Santos in 2013, has made a big claim about the Brazilian and Lionel Messi.
Neymar spoke about his desire to play with Messi again in December 2020, and Cury has said if the duo are reunited it will be at Barcelona under new president Joan Laporta and not at Paris Saint-Germain, as reported by Marca.
“Laporta is the only one who can put them back together. Messi is not going to leave Barcelona,” he said. “He decided that his story should be in Barcelona and I am very clear about that. Yes Neymar will play with Messi again, but it will be in Barcelona.”
The futures of both players are somewhat uncertain. Messi is out of contract at Barcelona in the summer, while Neymar’s contract at PSG expires in 2022. The Brazilian has reportedly agreed a four-year extension but the club has not announced the deal.
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Doors Open For Barcelona Return?
Cury went on to say that Neymar recognizes he made the wrong decision when he stunned the football world by leaving the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes in 2017.
The former Barcelona scout says Neymar has come close to a return to the club before but a deal failed to materialize at the last minute.
“Neymar has the Barcelona doors open, the Catalans know he was wrong and even he himself recognized it some time later. I was in Barcelona for 10 years, I know every corner of the city. I would be very happy for Neymar to go to Barcelona”, he claimed. “Two years ago, Neymar formally asked me to return to Barcelona, we tried and we were really close to getting him out of Paris, but due to details it didn’t happen.”
Yet despite Cury’s claims it’s difficult to see how Barcelona can afford to bring Neymar back in the summer. The club has debts of over $1 billion which means it will be difficult to sign any players this summer without offloading some big names.
Barca may also be put off by the 29-year-old’s injury record. According to Opta, Neymar has only played 53.9% of PSG’s games in all competitions since his arrival at the club in August 2017.
Laporta Hoping to Keep Messi
However, the arrival of Laporta as the club’s president for a second term has brought renewed optimism around the club. Coach Ronald Koeman also has the team on the up after a poor start to the campaign. A 17-match unbeaten run has reignited title hopes and moved Barca into second place in the table.
The Catalan giants also remain in contention in the Copa del Rey and take on Athletic Club in the final in Seville on April 17.
Laporta officially took office this week and spoke about how he will do his best to keep hold of Messi at the presentation ceremony, as reported by Marca.
“We will, for example, try to convince Leo to stay at the club,”he said. “Sorry Leo… I will do my best and he knows it! “We’re going to try, of course, to convince him to stay here because he’s the best player in history. Sorry, but I love you and Barcelona also loves you. If this stadium were full, you wouldn’t want to go.”
Messi has been linked with move away with Manchester City and PSG the two clubs regularly linked with the Barcelona captain. Yet Laporta’s arrival has brought renewed hope that Messi can be convinced to stay and will sign a contract that will see him finish his career at the club.
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