Bartomeu and Neymar talk: "Stay"

Flight IB2836 from Barcelona to New Jersey left with the entire Barça delegation going to the USA. Neymar was there, looking withdrawn, in a cap, sunglasses and headphones hanging from his ear. He was the last to get off the bus, the second last into the airport and got onto the plane alone. On the plane, Douglas, the only other Brazilian sat next to him but he didn’t seem comfortable. He didn’t want to talk to anyone.

However, Josep Maria Bartomeu, had other ideas. He wanted to talk face to face with the player to find out the details of the contact he’d had with PSG, to find out first-hand how advanced the negotiations were and to try to prevent him leaving.

Bartomeu tried to take the bull by the horns to dispel the player’s uncomfortableness and to try to stop his head being turned. Bartomeu knows he has a “serious” problem according to sources at the club, as Barça aren’t meeting the player’s ambitions.

In the changing room there are barely any Brazilians, in the team he is number 2, his path towards being number 1 in the team, and therefore the world, is blocked, his contract is massively inferior to Messi’s, a so-so coach has been appointed, and there have barely been any signings to strengthen the team.

PSG are offering an excellent contract and a project that he will be the visible face of, the number 1 he so wants to be. “This is the problem,” the club admits. They know there is no way he can surpass Messi. That’s why Bartomeu wanted to meet with him, to remind him of what he can, and has, achieved at Barcelona. The result of the meeting is not known and it remains to be seen whether Neymar will return a Barcelona player.