Former Barcelona director Javier Bordas has lifted the lid on the club’s quite stunning bid to bring Neymar back from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazil international left Barcelona for PSG in 2017 in what was a huge move that shocked world football, and it’s little surprise to learn that his former club will have tried hard to bring him back.
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Bordas has now told COPE that Barca did indeed try to re-sign him around a year ago, with a big-money bid plus the offer of players in return for the 28-year-old.
They included Ousmane Dembele on loan, plus Ivan Rakitic and Jean-Clair Todibo on permanent deals, he told the Spanish radio station.
“We offered PSG £98m plus Todibo, Rakitic and the loan of Dembele,” Bordas said.
“PSG wanted £116.5m plus Todibo, Rakitic and Dembele on loan. Neymar was £18.5m away from coming back.
“Neymar’s father said that he would make up the difference but in the end that didn’t happen.”
This really would have been something if it had gone through, but PSG will surely feel they were justified in keeping hold of their star player, who has generally shone for the club even if he’s had his ups and downs in his time at the Parc des Princes.