Josep Maria Bartomeu Says He Has Not Spoken to Neymar, Dismisses Return Rumours

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said the club have not held any discussions with Paris Saint-German about potentially bringing Neymar back to the Camp Nou. 

Neymar left Barcelona for PSG in the summer of 2017 for a world-record fee in a transfer that stunned the football world. Since the deal, there have regularly been rumours linking the player with a move back to Spain, whether that be a reunion with Barcelona or a switch to Real Madrid.

Speaking about the Brazilian on El Partidazo de COPE (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal), Bartomeu said the club have no desire to bring Neymar back for a second stint in Catalonia.

"I have never spoken to them, nor have the father or player called me to return to Barca," he said. "They have not called. We are preparing for next season and the name of Neymar is not on the table. We are talking about a PSG player, and I do not think that PSG want to get rid of a player like him."

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The comments from Bartomeu come shortly after quotes from vice-president Jordi Mestre, who said Barcelona signing the player again is "highly unlikely," with the Blaugrana against any possible transfer as a "matter of principle," per Sport (h/t Football Espana)

During his four years at the Camp Nou he excelled alongside Lionel Messi and then Luis Suarez, who arrived from Liverpool in 2014. They linked up together tremendously well, forging arguably the greatest attacking lineup in modern football history:

Now he's excelling alongside Kylian Mbappe:

However, when PSG met Neymar's release clause in 2017 the Brazilian decided to move on, having won the UEFA Champions League once, La Liga twice and the Copa del Rey three times with the Catalan club.

While Neymar has unsurprisingly thrived during his time at PSG in domestic matches, helping the team to a treble last season, rumours continue to surface about whether or not he is completely content in Ligue 1.

The forward was linked consistently with a move to Real Madrid last season, and Los Blancos would move for the player in the summer if PSG are forced to sell in order to meet FIFA's Financial Fair Play regulations, according to Manu Sainz of AS.

As relayed by sports journalist Richard Martin, it's also been reported by AS that Neymar has made it clear he wants to come back to Barcelona:

Still, having spent big on Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele following the departure of Neymar, it would be a shock if Barcelona financed another move for the player.

There's no doubt Neymar is a world-class operator and someone who would help Barcelona in their quest for domestic and European glory. Still, recent comments from key men at the Camp Nou suggest it's unlikely we'll see him in the iconic Blaugrana jersey again.