Transfer News: Neymar snubs Real Madrid in favour of a Barcelona return

PSG superstar Neymar has strictly rejected the advances of former European Champions Real Madrid, amid reports linking him with a return to Barcelona.

According to Sport, Neymar has declined an offer to follow the footsteps of Luis Figo and join Real Madrid, just a couple of years after leaving FC Barcelona. It is believed that the PSG attacker has said “no” to a move to the Bernabeu this summer and a return to Barca could still be on the cards.

Real Madrid were initially trying to sign Neymar as their desired replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, whose departure seems to have created a large gaping hole in attack. But, it now seems as if they are closing in on a move for Eden Hazard. The Chelsea star is expected to join Los Blancos in the coming days and will be considered as a replacement for Gareth Bale.

The Welshman is likely to leave the club in the summer after struggling with both injuries and lack of game-time. In fact, Manchester United and Inter Milan are already battling it out in the pursuit of Bale.

But, Real Madrid will still be needing a quality attacker, who can compete with Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio. Neymar, in that regard, could have been an excellent option. The Brazilian not only has the quality but also has the experience and flair to spark new life into the Real Madrid attacked that has lacked the essence following the departure of Ronaldo.

Hence, missing out on the former Barcelona will serve as a huge disappointment to Zinedine Zidane.

Speaking of Barcelona, they are also in desperate need of a new attacker this summer. The Blaugrana have still failed to find a proper replacement for Neymar, with Philipe Coutinho’s struggling to adapt under Ernesto Valverde while Ousmane Dembele has struggled with injuries for the most of his career at Catalonia. And with both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez already in their 30s, the Spanish giants will need someone who can lead the attack in the future.

And that’s where Neymar comes into the fray. The 27-year-old is a proven attacker, who has already shown he can perform under the influence of both Messi and Suarez. He also has excellent combination with these two and his potential return to Barcelona will see the revival of the reverted offensive trifecta of ‘MSN’.

That being said, PSG are adamant in keeping hold of their prized attacking sensation beyond this summer, with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi notably issuing a hands-off warning to Barcelona. But, anything can happen given the massive financial stakes should the move actually take place. And it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape in the coming weeks.