Neymar: Barcelona rule out move for PSG star; Lautaro talks "ended"
Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed Barcelona will not attempt to sign the Brazilian this summer and ruled out a move for Lautaro, saying there will be "no big investment."
Neymar’s proposed return to Camp Nou will not happen this summer, according to Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who has ruled out a move for the Paris Saint-Germain forward after a failed bid to re-sign the Brazilian last year, backed by senior members of the squad including Leo Messi and Gerard Piqué. In an interview with Catalan daily Sport, Bartomeu said an attempt to bring Neymar back to Barcelona was “inviable” due to the financial constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic and an already colossal wage bill at the club.
“We won’t be attempting to get Neymar this summer,” the Barça president said. “We put everything into it last year but we won’t be trying again.”
Bartomeu also said that Barcelona’s long-standing interest in Inter striker Lautaro Martínez will not bear fruit in the upcoming transfer window with the Italian side holding out for around €100 million for the Argentina striker. Saying that talks had been halted, Bartomeu confirmed the current financial situation “does not lend itself to big investments.”
Messi "has three or four more years" in him
The Barcelona chief also seemed to confirm that Germany stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen would be going nowhere amid interest from the Premier League, describing the keeper as “fundamental” to the side. He did add though that the 28-year-old is ware that the club’s economic outlook is “problematic” as he seeks an extension to his current contract.
Bartomeu also spoke about Messi, saying that the club captain “has three or four more years of football” in his boots while also referring to teenage forward Ansu Fati: “He is essential for the future of the club.”