Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Neymar: Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde reveals all on alleged transfer talks
ERNESTO VALVERDE has dismissed rumours that Neymar has been in contact with Barcelona over a shock return to the Nou Camp.
Earlier this week, El Mundo reported the striker is desperate to leave Paris Saint-Germain and that his representatives have told Barca he’s keen on returning to the Catalan capital.
It was claimed the Brazilian’s father - Neymar Sr - has told the club how ‘disappointed and very sorry’ the family are for allowing him to join PSG.
Neymar Sr emphatically dismissed the claim on Instagram, branding it ‘fake news’.
Valverde was quizzed about the matter at a press conference and insisted that neither Neymar nor any of his representatives have been in contact with him.
"People tend to say big things about players at other clubs," Valverde said.
"He is a great player, had a great World Cup, but now he's at a different club, so there's nothing more to say about that.
"It's not a question of Neymar phoning... nobody has phoned me.
"News stories always appear in the press. He's a PSG player and we respect PSG."
He's a PSG player and we respect PSG
Neymar swapped Barcelona for Paris in the summer of 2017 for a world-record transfer fee of £200m.
A few months after his arrival in the French capital, rumours began to swirl that the former Santos man is yearning for a return to La Liga.
It’s also been reported that Barcelona are keen on re-signing the 26-year-old, despite his acrimonious departure.
Barcelona’s sporting director Pep Segura hasn’t ruled out the prospect of the Brazil international returning to the club, who are on the lookout for a new striker.
“All players who are in the market are likely to come if they fit our needs,” Segura told La Vanguardia late last year. "Today, Neymar is not in the market.
“If one day there is a possibility, does anyone believe that a club like Barca does not have to consider it? In the case of Neymar and anyone, we must give our partners the best."
Neymar and his PSG team-mates return to action next Saturday when they welcome Guingamp to the Parc des Princes.
Barcelona, meanwhile, travel to Valencia on Thursday to take on Levante in the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie.