Josep Maria Bartomeu Says 'There Are No Plans' for Neymar to Return to Barcelona

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has confirmed that Barcelona will not look to bring Neymar back to the Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Brazilian swapped Barcelona for Paris in 2017 when PSG activated his buyout clause in a world-record €222 million deal.

It seems he will not be returning, however, as Bartomeu told El Mati de Catalunya Radio (h/t Football Espana):

"Neymar left and is not expected to return to Barca, there are no plans to bring him back.

"No one is scheduled to be signed in January, unless we are told something that would see a change in plans.

"This is a smaller squad because there are B players who have given strong signals that they can be on the first team."

Bartomeu's comments follow a week of speculation in the Catalan press that hinted a return could be on the cards, rumours Neymar also sought to deny, per Eurosport UK:

Neymar spent four seasons with Barcelona and scored 105 goals in 186 appearances to help them win La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times and the UEFA Champions League once in that time.

Since his departure, the Catalan giants have recruited hot prospects Ousmane Dembele and Malcom to compete for a place in their forward line, with the hope that the 21-year-olds can replace Neymar's contributions in the final third.

Meanwhile, Neymar has been shining in his new surroundings, offering up 39 goals and 21 assists in just 41 outings for PSG.

Squawka's Muhammad Butt believes there is no chance of him returning to Barcelona, while as La Liga writer Andrew Gaffney noted, the club would struggle to afford him:

Having splashed out on Dembele, Malcom and Philippe Coutinho among others since Neymar left, Barca would likely struggle to meet the transfer fee required to engineer his return let alone afford the enormous wages that would have to paid as part of the deal.

At the very least, a return for Neymar in the near future does not appear forthcoming.