Barcelona Vice-President Jordi Mestre Says Neymar Return Is 'Highly Unlikely'

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar almost certainly won't be making a return to Barcelona, according to the Catalan giants' vice-president Jordi Mestre. 

Neymar has been linked with his former club since he left them for PSG in a world-record €222 million move in 2017, but Mestre has shut down such talk.

He told Sport (h/t Football Espana):

"Neymar is one of the best footballers in the world; he is a star.

"As a matter of principle, I do not believe that Barcelona should countenance his return, and my belief is that it is highly unlikely that he will play for the club again.

"There are two main reasons for this, the economic reasons which would prevent a move and the fact that he is a Paris Saint-Germain player, they will not want to sell him.

"Then there is also the factor of the manner of his departure, because they [Neymar's agents] promised us one thing and it turned out to be another path they took.

"We were going to pay for an improved contract extension, but this ensured we did not because his father played two different games."

The Brazilian's departure from Barca was acrimonious. Shortly after joining PSG, the Blaugrana announced their intent to sue Neymar for breaching his contract signed less than a year prior, per ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden:

Neymar subsequently responded by suing his former club regarding an unpaid €26 million loyalty bonus, and he was also vocal in his criticism of Barcelona's board.

If he and the club could move past those issues, he would be a tremendous asset to Barca once again.

He contributed 105 goals and 76 assists in 186 appearances for Barcelona, and he has been similarly impactful since his move to the Parc des Princes:

However, as Mestre further noted, financing his return would require an astronomical amount of money.

With the fee received for Neymar also used to fund the arrivals of players such as Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, even a club of Barcelona's resources would struggle to afford him now.

If Neymar does move on from PSG in the near future, he'll find his options limited, and Barcelona aren't likely to be among them.