Lionel Messi asks Bartomeu to bring Neymar back to Barcelona

The Neymar to Barcelona saga picks up even more steam as Lionel Messi has asked for his return.

The Neymar to Barcelona rumors refuse to die down. In fact, quite the contrary. It seems like everyday there is a new rumor that gives credence to the return of the Brazilian to the Camp Nou. If reports are to be believed, Lionel Messi has added more fuel to the fire.

According to El Mundo, Messi has asked president Josep Maria Bartomeu to bring Neymar back to the club. The report indicates that Bartomeu and those part of the board are seriously considering this option and trying to figure out a way to make the deal happen.

The article states that one of the scenarios being considered is to include Antonie Griezmann in a deal for Neymar. Barcelona would attempt to find a way to get the deal reached by Griezmann and the club to be transferred over to PSG. In any case, Griezmann would have to agree and chances of that may be slim since he already agreed to take a pay cut to join Barcelona.

Usually any report that has Lionel Messi wielding any sort of influence with regards to transfers would result in someone rolling their eyes. Howver, this report isn’t coming from a source like Don Balon. El Mundo is a credible source and it reinforces the attitude that the locker room has towards Griezmann.

Recall the press conference before the Copa del Rey final in which Messi made a surprise appearance. He was asked about the possibility of Griezmann coming and he simply replied, “No comment.”

This all but confirmed the rumors that the dressing room was not in favor of his arrival because of what happened the season before when they thought a deal was in place only for the Frenchman to decide to stay at Atletico Madrid.

On the other hand, it’s been reported for a while that Neymar is fed up with PSG and that he regrets leaving Barcelona. Since he’s been there, he’s spent a large percentage of it injured and only to see PSG crash out of the Champions League with him on the sidelines. Add the fact that Kylian Mbappe has emerged on the world stage and has overshadowed him.

However, those in charge of PSG are not too happy with him either.

Club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi made some comments that indirectly, and directly, referred to Neymar.

In an interview with France Football, he said, “I want players willing to give everything to defend the honor of the jersey and to join the club project. Those who do not want that, or do not understand, we will meet and we will talk to each other. Nobody forced him to sign here. Nobody pushed him. He came knowingly to join a project.”

Al-Khelaifi is right. Nobody forced Neymar to join PSG. But because he wanted to get out Messi’s shadow and get his time in the spotlight, he chose to leave Barcelona and go to PSG. Neymar made that decision and now he has to live with that.

For Barcelona, the move makes little sense. Why go for a player who willingly left the club and filed a lawsuit against you? Why go after someone who has regressed since leaving and being injured when his club needed him the most?

Whatever leadership he had at Barcelona that made him focus is nowhere to be found at PSG. He’s let his own hype get the better of him and reacts poorly when things don’t go his way. He’s got into an altercation with a fan after the French Cup final. He’s currently facing legal troubles in Brazil as well.

There is simply too much baggage associated with Neymar to think that bringing him back would be a good idea no matter what the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez may think.