Barcelona re-signing Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain 'unfeasible' in current climate

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said it is “unfeasible” to re-sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in the current global economic climate.

The La Liga giants have often been linked with a move for their former player and appeared to be closing in on the Brazilian attacker last summer.

The move never materialised but that has not stopped the rumours, with reports suggesting Barca were hoping to hoping to strike a part-exchange deal that would see Antoine Griezmann move back to his native France.

But, in an interview with Spanish newspaper Sport, Bartomeu said that because of the pandemic, the chance of any big-money move is non-existent.

Inter striker Lautaro Martinez has also been a top target following an impressive season over in Serie A.

The player, who scored 18 goals in 39 games for Inter this season, has an €111 million (Dh480m) release clause in his contract and is refusing to extend his current deal at the San Siro.

But any plans for major moves in the transfer market have been shelved as Bartomeu revealed that Barca generated €200m less than expected between March and June because of the pandemic.

“Neymar? In this situation, it’s unfeasible,” Bartomeu said. “Nor does PSG want to sell him.

“Barca have spoken with Inter about Lautaro, but the talks have stopped. The situation doesn’t invite large investments.

“All the big European clubs are affected. This isn’t going to last a year, but three or four.

“If the situation doesn’t improve, they won’t be people in the stands, at the museum or the shops and we’ll keep losing money. This will cause us to revise our spending plans and which ones can wait. We have to adapt.”