Neymar says he wants more than anything for Lionel Messi to move to Paris, and that it must happen 'next season'
- Paris Saint Germain forward Neymar says he wants more than anything to play with Lionel Messi again and that it must happen "next season."
- "He can play in my place, I have no problem with that! But I want to play with him next year, for sure," the Brazilian said on Wednesday.
- Neymar and Messi enjoyed four prolific seasons together at the Camp Nou between 2013 and 2017, winning eight major honors, including two La Liga titles and the Champions League.
Paris Saint Germain forward Neymar says he wants more than anything to play with Lionel Messi again and that it must happen "next season."
Neymar and Messi enjoyed four prolific seasons together at the Camp Nou between 2013 and 2017, winning eight major honors, including two La Liga titles and the Champions League.
Messi, 33, is out of contract at Barca this summer and is free to talk to other clubs from January.
"What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch," Neymar said when asked about the prospect of the Argentine joining him in in the French capital.
"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," he added while talking to reporters after PSG's 3-1 Champions League win against Manchester United on Wednesday.
PSG is one of just a handful of clubs who could feasibly afford to bring Messi in, with Manchester City and Inter Milan also believed to be in the running.
Messi is thought to favor Manchester because of manager Pep Guardiola, who managed Barcelona during the player's finest years, but Neymar is both a close friend and one of Messi's favorite ever teammates, so he could be drawn to Paris.
Neymar's revelation comes just a day after Barcelona's interim president, Carlos Tusquets, said the club should have sold Messi in the summer.
Messi attempted to force a move away from Barcelona in August by handing in a transfer request, however backed down after the club refused to sanction his release.
"Economically speaking, I would've sold Messi in the summer window," Tusquets told RAC1.
"Both in terms of what you save on the wage bill as well as the money you make, it would've been desirable. But this is something the coaching staff have to consent to and that's not my place.
"La Liga are setting salary limits at the moment and this would've helped on that front."
Read more:
Lionel Messi has been fined for paying tribute to Diego Maradona in a match