Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, offered a mixed response when asked about the possibility of a reunion with Neymar this summer.
Neymar, who returned to Brazilian club Santos in January, has since held talks with Barcelona regarding a potential shock return as he looks to rejoin a top European club at the age of 33. Reports later suggested that Barcelona had challenged Neymar to score 15 goals in the second half of the season to prove he is still at a high enough level to warrant a free transfer when his Santos contract expires.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Deco was asked about the potential move and initially left the door open for a reunion. “I support Neymar. I want him to be happy, and his team needs him,” Deco said. “Everyone who loves football wants to see a happy Neymar.”
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“Ney is an important player. If one day a situation like this [a reunion] arises, it would be good for him and good for us,” he added.
However, Deco quickly tempered the optimism, ruling out an immediate return for Neymar and stressing that the team must be built with “the head.”
“Neymar was a phenomenon who passed through here,” Deco explained. “He did what he did, he won what he won… Sometimes these stories don’t repeat themselves. They could, but you never know. I think this is not the time for Barcelona to think about Neymar, nor for Neymar to think about that.”