Neymar has been constantly linked with a transfer to Barcelona. And many, including the team, feel that Neymar could complement superstar Lionel Messi as a secondary attacking option. For most of this ongoing saga, Messi has not made any mentions about his thoughts on his potential sidekick. But he recently made it known that he embraces the opportunity to play alongside the Brazilian phenom.
"Only the player knows if he will sign for the club or not, nobody else knows," Messi said, as reported by ESPN.
"For us he would be a marvelous addition. He is the type of player who offers individual solutions different from the rest. He is a great player, who is very good in one-on-ones with opponents."
Barcelona has struggled mightily without Messi in major competitions. The team was nearly eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the Champions League while the Argentine sat on the bench. Once Messi was inserted into the game, Barcelona scored the much needed qualifying tally. Against Bayern Munich in the UCL semifinals, the injured Messi struggled on the pitch and his team was destroyed 4-0. Messi was left on the bench for the return leg and his squad failed to create a dangerous scoring chance in a 3-0 loss. David Villa and Cesc Fabregas have both proven to be inconsistent scoring sources and it seems that the team is looking for a strong option at the forward position.
"The conversations with Barca are continuing," Santos representative Odilio Rodrigues told Marca about the negotiations.
"Neymar wants to leave and we are trying to achieve an agreement. If there is a good offer for Santos, and for the player, we will analyze it. We will receive offers from other European clubs."
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