Neymar Won't Be Targeted by Barcelona in January Window, Says Josep Bartomeu

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has ruled out a new approach for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar in January. 

Per Marca, he acknowledged the Catalans worked hard to land him in summer, and there is no truth to rumours Lionel Messi pushed for the signing:

"He's not in the plans for January. Barcelona couldn't meet PSG's demands [this summer].

"Barcelona never offered players for Neymar, it was PSG that asked for them. We did everything possible to sign him.

"It's a fact that Neymar asked PSG to negotiate only with Barcelona. The signing wasn't easy, on a economic or social level. [Lionel] Messi didn't tell me to sign Neymar, that's a myth. The players don't have a say in signings, it's the sporting department, technical department and the directors who decide."

Neymar's future dominated the summer transfer window from start to finish, with a relentless stream of updates coming out of Spain and France on an almost daily basis.

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones wrote a comprehensive breakdown of the saga, predicting a sequel next summer. The Brazil international also took the top spot in Bleacher Report's top transfer rumours to watch in 2020.

A mid-season switch doesn't seem likely, however, regardless of Bartomeu's comments. The 27-year-old is the most expensive player in the world and Les Parisiens will undoubtedly want fair value in the deal. Budgets for transfers on this scale are usually put together at the start of the season, not in January.

Neymar has yet to play a minute of competitive football for PSG this season and is currently with the national team during the international break:

He'll have to find his place in the team when he comes back, and Les Parisiens will be counting on him to do so in a hurry. Both Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani suffered injury setbacks before the international break, leaving the team dangerously short of attacking options. 

Les Parisiens will return to action on September 14 against Strasbourg.