Brazilian striker Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017, but both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez advised Neymar to choose Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
It was the time in 2017 when Neymar decided to leave the Camp Nou team to find a new challenge, especially in search of the world golden ball title – Ballon d’Or. And now, Luis Suarez has revealed that, back then, he and Messi advised Neymar to join Manchester City instead of PSG.
Neymar came to PSG because he wanted to win the Ballon d’Or and to find a new challenge. PHOTO: GETTY
Messi has been at Barca since childhood, while Neymar joined the Catalan team in 2013. A year later, Luis Suarez left Liverpool to join Barcelona. Barcelona’s famous ‘MSN’ forward line of Messi, Suarez and Neymar won the Champions League in 2015 under Luis Enrique, with Neymar scoring to seal a 3-1 win over Juventus in the final.
However, the next two seasons, Barcelona were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Neither Neymar nor Barcelona have won another Champions League since the Brazilian superstar left the Camp Nou.
In 2017, Neymar arrived at PSG with a world record contract of nearly 200 million euros to break his contract with Barcelona. That same year, Neymar also seemed to have a connection with Man City during the early stages of Pep Guardiola’s tenure at the Etihad Stadium team.
The trio of assassins Messi, Suarez and Neymar at Barcelona. PHOTO: GETTY
Now, Luis Suarez told Marca (Spain): “If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona, he would have won the Ballon d’Or for sure. We (Suarez and Messi) spoke to Neymar and said to him: ‘Ney, if you want to win everything, stay here’. There are environments that are sometimes difficult to control.
We, as friends, advised Neymar to stay, but it was his decision, his family’s. We said: ‘Neymar, England is better. Manchester City, playing football there would be better. What about in France…?”.
Neymar only finished third in the Ballon d’Or award twice in 2015 and 2017. The last time Neymar came close to winning the Champions League was in 2020, when his PSG lost 0-1 to Bayern Munich in the final match. conclude.
Messi and Suarez have advised Neymar to come to Man City if he wants to leave Barca. PHOTO: MIRROR
