Brazilian icon Neymar was on the move last month, when he rejoined his boyhood club Santos following an injury-hit 18-month spell with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
But this homecoming may not last too long, as the 33-year-old is reportedly eyeing a sensational move back to Europe in the summer.
Neymar’s move back to Brazil was confirmed in January, with the forward having played four games and scoring one goal for Santos after his Al Hilal contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Neymar eyeing European return
A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament saw Neymar sidelined for 12 months, meaning his high-profile move to Saudi Arabia resulted in just seven games played and one goal scored.
This came after a six-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain that saw him become the most expensive player of all time, before PSG lifted five Ligue 1 titles, adding to the two La Liga titles he won with Barcelona during his four years with the club. During his time at Camp Nou he formed one of the most exciting frontlines in world football alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi during a golden age for the Catalan side.
Now, according to a report from Fichajes, Neymar wants to return to Barcelona and has already begun talks with the club over a sensational move back to the La Liga giants.
The report adds that Neymar – ranked at No.35 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Barcelona players of all time – wants to continue playing for an elite club and get himself back in peak shape ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which would likely be his final opportunity to win the trophy with Brazil.
He is said to be willing to make ‘economic sacrifices’ to facilitate a move back to Camp Nou, as he will no doubt be well aware of the financial challenges that Barca have faced in recent years. A move is said to be ‘difficult’, the report adds.
In the meantime, Neymar will continue at Santos, where he signed a contract that runs until the summer of 2025.
In FourFourTwo’s view, this move seems somewhat fanciful for all parties. While Neymar - currently valued at €15million by Transfermarkt - is working way back to fitness and clearly still has the desire to play on, he turned 33 last month and has barely played any football in the past 18 months.
Barcelona’s financial situation means they are not in the kind of position to be making emotive moves such as this and would be well advised to steer clear. At FFT, we recently argued that Neymar's move to Al Hilal was the worst transfer in football history, so what more of a red flag do you need?
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