Last month, Neymar signed a 6-month contract with Santos after leaving Al-Hilal as a free player. At Al-Hilal, Neymar has only scored 1 goal in 7 appearances. The main reason for this poor form is the persistent injuries that have ruined the "Little Pele" career.
Back to Santos, things seemed brighter for Neymar when he had 2 goals after 6 appearances. However, Neymar's 6-month contract with his former home country may not last longer as the treatment here is not as good as what Neymar had at Barcelona, PSG or Al-Hilal.
During his many years playing at PSG and Al-Hilal, Neymar has repeatedly expressed his desire to return to Barca. In 2019, Barca's then-chairman Josep Bartomeu tried to bring Neymar back but failed. After leaving PSG, Neymar was on the threshold of returning to Camp Nou but failed to escape the attractive solicitation of Al-Hilal. That was when Barca was in debt, so even though Neymar wanted to return, he had difficulty finding a reasonable deal.
It is expected that at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season, Camp Nou will reopen after a renovation that took more than 2 years. At that time, the capacity and grandness will be much greater than before and it will take a few big names to cause a media explosion, Neymar could be one of them.
If Neymar returns to Barca, he could receive very warm initial support from Raphinha. Raphinha has had a very good relationship with Neymar since he was called up to the Brazilian national team. Meanwhile, the brightest young talent at the moment, Lamine Yamal, always considers Neymar as one of the biggest idols. The two met at the Globe Soccer Awards Gala in December 2024 and have interacted with each other on social media quite a lot since then.
One of the benefits for Barca if they want to re-sign Neymar is that the striker will become a free player this summer. If Neymar still wants to be in the Brazilian squad for the 2026 World Cup, he also needs a destination like Barca to launch, thereby bringing his name back.
Neymar is now 33 years old, has a history of persistent injuries and has gained a lot of weight, those are the immediate returns that he and Barca need to overcome if both sides want to reunite. Barca is prioritizing youth, and older players, even very classy like Lewandowski, are gradually reducing their frequency of starting.
This summer, Barca is chasing the striker. They have targeted a number of names such as Luis Diaz (Liverpool), Alexander Isak (New Newcastle) or Rafael Leao (AC Milan). If these targets are purchased, the possibility of Barca reuniting with Neymar is quite difficult and vice versa. Among these names, none have as much media influence as Neymar. If Neymar returns to Barca, there will be more commercial contracts. In addition, Barca's shirt sales are also smoother with Neymar's name printed on the back.
The final obstacle is Hansi Flick. The German tactician revived Barca after a difficult final period for Xavi. Thanks to Flick, Barca has regained their position in La Liga and the Champions League. All personnel decisions at the moment have to go through Flick and it is uncertain whether he will agree with a difficult name like Neymar.
Neymar will make clear commitments to his achievements with the star if he returns to Barca. Otherwise, Neymar could still return to Barca but will contribute in another way as a brand ambassador to avoid conflicts in professional matters.
