Barcelona were reportedly offered the chance to re-sign Neymar Junior from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but dismissed the option fairly swiftly.

While Ilkay Gundogan is no doubt a top quality addition for Barcelona, he does not hold the star pull that Lionel Messi does. Neither does Neymar, but the Brazilian would have been a big-name signing for the forward line. Paris Saint-Germain have been trying to shop him for the past two summers now as well.

According to MD, Neymar’s agents offered him to Barcelona this summer. The Barcelona board were reluctant to see him wear the colours again after a long series of legal battles with the club. The coaching staff also rejected the idea, on account of their desire to maintain a good atmosphere in the dressing room.

While none of this is entirely surprising, it does speak to the reputation that Neymar has gained within football, beyond the financial difficulties PSG may have to extract him. Xavi worked with Neymar, but still sees him as a potentially damaging element within the dressing room. Arguably Neymar worked best under Luis Enrique, and PSG will be hoping that is the case again this time around.