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Louis van Gaal: 'Individualistic' Neymar 'Not Good' for Barcelona Amid Bid Talk
November 28, 2018
Former Barcelona manager Louis van Gaal has said it would be a mistake for Barcelona to bring Neymar back to the club as he is too "individualistic."
Neymar left the La Liga side in the summer of 2017 to join Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record transfer fee. While the Brazil international has performed well in the French capital and sampled plenty of domestic success, speculation about his future has been consistent since he moved to Ligue 1.
As of late there have been rumours that Barcelona may seek to sign Neymar for a second time, but Van Gaal told Porteria de Beteve (h/t Goal) that he doesn't believe that would be a good move.
"I think it's not good for Barcelona, but that's my opinion," he said. "Neymar is still a young player who can continue to develop. He must first learn to be a team player. Neymar is too individualistic, which is why I think Barcelona should be vigilant before deciding to get him back."
Neymar arrived at the Camp Nou from Santos in 2013 and developed into one of the best footballers on the planet in his time at the club.
Additionally, he was part of one of the greatest attacking setups in the history of the game, as he, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez fired Barcelona to numerous prizes. Overall, Neymar won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times and the UEFA Champions League in his four-year stint in Spain.
His role in that success clearly didn't go unnoticed by PSG, who matched the €222 million (£195 million) release clause in his contract and pulled off a shock transfer in 2017.
After missing the end of the 2017-18 season following an injury in February, Neymar has started this one in blistering form:
According to Goal's Ignasi Oliva Gispert, the player himself is open to heading back to the Camp Nou and representatives for him have provided the Catalan club with "detailed" instructions of how a transfer may be brokered.
Meanwhile, Barcelona general manager Pep Segura told La Vanguardia (h/t AS) he wouldn't rule out the possibility of getting Neymar back. "If one day there is a possibility [of signing Neymar], does anyone believe that a club like Barca does not have to consider it?" he said.
Rafael Hernandez of Barca fan site Grup14 also said he thinks a deal could happen:
Rafael Hernández @RafaelH117Neymar's entourage contacted Barcelona in hope of a return in 2019. The initial reaction from the club was negative because of the legal battle to pay his renewal bonuses, his return is now under consideration. Doesn't mean he's coming back, but for the first time it's possible. https://t.co/66leRyny6t
PSG would surely demand a massive amount before selling their star man having paid so much for him previously. That would be a major stumbling block to overcome before any transfer is completed.
Barcelona dominated La Liga without Neymar last season and have invested plenty in the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho in an attempt to fill the void his departure left.