Neymar says he does not see himself leaving Barcelona, although there has yet to be an announcement over his contact renewal with the club facing increasing financial worries.
Neymar still has two years remaining on the deal he signed when joining Barca back in summer 2013 and there has yet to be any official confirmation over a renewal, although ESPN Brasil reported last month he had signed a new five-year deal in December.
The report said the announcement had been held up because of issues surrounding Neymar’s recent tax cases with Spanish and Brazilian, while there are also concerns over Barca’s delicate economic situation.
Cadena COPE, meanwhile, reported that Neymar had only signed a “letter of intent” and that the agreement was not binding.
Nonetheless, the Brazil captain told Globo he is enjoying playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and sees no reason to move on.
“I think that the most important thing in football is to play alongside good players, and I believe that those here are the best,” Neymar said. “I am happy at Barcelona. It’s a team where I feel at home. My teammates leave me very relaxed about everything. I don’t see myself leaving Barcelona.”
Asked if he was closer to Messi or Suarez, he replied: “With both.
“I’ve spent more time with Messi, then Suarez came and we also have a very close relationship. We are always joking at training, and outside too. We have a very close affinity.”
Neymar said he hopes Barcelona can continue to make history, with a repeat of last season’s Treble looking realistic.
Barca are currently eight points clear in La Liga, have already booked their place in May’s Copa del Rey final, and have a 2-0 advantage over Arsenal heading into the second leg of their round-of-16 clash in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“We keep evolving,” he said. “We still have many things to evolve. I don’t know what the limit of Barcelona is. We are making history and I hope we can keep making this type of history, and for people to be happy playing football. That is the philosophy of this club, to be happy on the pitch.”
He added: “We are going through a good time. We are very well placed in La Liga, and already in the Copa del Rey final, and now we need to keep going in the Champions League. The fans are very happy with the work we are doing, both in training and in games.”
However, success in all three competitions could bring further financial pressure for the Barca board, with Marca claiming this would mean an extra €80 million in bonuses to be shared among the squad, with the club reportedly having budgeted for just €25m.
This could be an issue for the Barca board given the club’s debt-to-income ratio is already close to the 2.75 cut-off point at which the board would be bound to resign according to its own statutes. Next season, the cut-off point will drop further to 2.5.
There are also concerns about the ongoing commercial relationship with Qatar, given the kit sponsorship deal with Qatar Airlines, which ends this June, has yet to be renewed.
Further money must also be raised for the €600m redevelopment of the Camp Nou. The club announced its chosen design for the stadium in early March but as yet no details on how it will be funded have been made public. Money for new contracts sought by other stars, including Sergio Busquets, must also be found.
Meanwhile, the legal issues around Neymar’s arrival at the Camp Nou in summer 2013 continue, with Madrid-based Audiencia General judge Jose de la Mata hearing evidence from former blaugrana sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on Tuesday.
According to local media including El Pais, Zubizarreta — sacked in January 2015 after criticising current president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s stewardship of the club — said ex-Barca president Sandro Rosell had managed the transfer.
Rosell, Bartomeu, Neymar and Neymar Sr. have already given evidence in the case, which has been taken by Brazil-based third-party investor DIS, which is arguing that it was cut out of the deal. Barca at first claimed the transfer fee was €57.1m but later admitted to paying out over €80m in total, with much of that sum going to companies controlled by Neymar Sr.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate