Neymar's Barcelona Return 'Possible' Under Certain Conditions, Ex-Vice President Says

Barcelona’s ex-vice president Emili Rousaud revealed that Neymar could possibly return to Camp Nou, but certain conditions should be met first.

After a series of conflicts with Josep Maria Bartomeu, who eventually demanded his resignation, Rousaud decided to leave his role as Barcelona's vice-president. Shortly after parting ways with the club, Rousaud spoke about the so-called “Operation Neymar” with French newspaper L'Équipe.

Neymar has been tipped to return to Barcelona in the past few weeks. While there has been no official statement yet regarding Neymar’s reunion with the Catalan club, Rousaud shed light on the matter and revealed Barcelona’s interest in their former star is “real.” However, the former Barca board member also pointed out that the deal could only come to fruition if all parties will be willing to meet in the middle in terms of money, especially now that the sport is experiencing financial crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, BeSoccer.com reported.

"A return of Neymar is possible. The coronavirus is going to cause a market deflation and most clubs are going to have financial difficulties . Barcelona would like to bring about Neymar's return. We will have to analyse whether this operation fits in with the club's finances,” Rousaud explained.

“The interest is real, though it is complex. There are three parties involved: Barcelona, PSG, and the player (Neymar). If the three of them look for an agreement, they will find the solution : a fractioned payment, for example. Everything will depend on the goodwill of each one and, especially, on Neymar's demands,” Rousaud added.

Barcelona considered the then 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembélé after Neymar left. Dembélé was viewed to be the perfect substitute for Neymar, hoping to have him contribute the same way as the Brazilian star.

However, Dembélé has not lived up to the hype as he has not made much of an impact for the club. And recent reports stated that Lionel Messi has now spoken about the player he wants to replace Dembélé. The Argentine superstar is now reportedly desperate for his club to sign Neymar back from PSG.

Neymar joined and left Barcelona via transfers plagued with controversies. But on the field, the 28-year-old was nothing but sensational. With his incredible pace and dazzling dribbling skills, Neymar definitely owned that left flank for years. In his time with Barcelona, Neymar played a total of 186 games and bagged 105 goals for the club. Many belived that he was destined to be Messi’s heir, until he suddenly left for Paris.