Members of Barcelona’s board have travelled to Paris to try to settle a deal to bring Neymar back to the Nou Camp.
Barcelona club president Josep Bartomeu and sporting director Eric Abidal both made the journey to Paris Saint-Germain’s headquarters on Tuesday.
The La Liga giants want to bring the Brazilian star back to Barcelona and are preparing a final bid for him.
Barcelona have already made a bid to PSG to get Neymar on loan with a £155million offer to buy next summer.
PSG have dismissed that and are now wanting a deal that includes £90m (€100m) plus Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo.
The French champions believe that would be satisfactory but Barcelona are unlikely to want to part with two first-team players.
PSG are reluctant to sell Neymar given they would only have until Monday’s continental deadline to replace him before waiting until January to trade again.
Qatar Sports Investments, PSG’s owners, would see the sale of Neymar as a major blow and a major political defeat two years after bringing him to Paris.
Neymar was supposed to be PSG’s final piece in a Champions League-winning puzzle.
There is also further concern with Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe currently unavailable due to injury.
There is a clear motivation from Barcelona’s side to sign the 27-year-old not least because Lionel Messi and him are close friends. There is also a frustration among Barcelona’s players that a deal for Neymar hasn’t been concluded sooner.
Having Neymar in a side that already boasts attacking stars such as Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann would also strengthen Barcelona’s chances in this year’s Champions League.
Bartomeu has two years remaining as president and desperately wants to end his reign by adding another Champions League crown to the one won under his watch in 2015 – the last time Barcelona ruled Europe.
Reports in Spain on Tuesday also suggest that Real Madrid are monitoring the situation closely but don’t want to get drawn into a transfer battle with Barcelona.
Sport reports that Real could be preparing a ‘super offer’ for Neymar while AS have the player pictured on a pile of cash to illustrate both Spanish clubs’ pursuit of him.
