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Lionel Messi 'calls Neymar to tell him to join Barcelona'

Messi 'calls Neymar to tell him to join Barcelona'
© Reuters
Lionel Messi reportedly phones Neymar to convince the Brazilian to return to Barcelona rather than join Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi has reportedly called Neymar to encourage the Brazilian to opt for a return to Barcelona rather than joining Real Madrid.

Neymar, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record £198m fee in 2017, has been pushing for a move away from the Parc des Princes all summer.

Barcelona are determined to re-sign the 27-year-old, but their refusal to pay the full amount for Neymar threatens to be a stumbling block.

According to Marca, Messi has waded into the saga by phoning Neymar in an attempt to convince his former teammate to reject the prospect of playing for Los Blancos.

PSG want to recoup all of the £200m that they shelled out for Neymar two years ago, but Barcelona are unable to offer such a figure having already spent £229.4m this summer.

Real president Florentino Perez has reportedly entered the race for Neymar after the club gave up on trying to sign Paul Pogba, who was Zinedine Zidane's number one target.

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Mohamed Salah and Neymar in action during the Champions League group game between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain on September 18, 2018
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CReal Madrid36296183226193
2Barcelona36247574433179
3GironaGirona36236775453075
4Atletico MadridAtletico36234967392873
5Athletic Bilbao361711858372162
6Real Sociedad361512949371257
7Real BetisBetis36141484843556
8Villarreal36149136060051
9Valencia36139143740-348
10AlavesAlaves37129163545-1045
11Getafe371013144152-1143
12Sevilla361011154750-341
13Osasuna36118174054-1441
14Las PalmasLas Palmas36108183246-1438
15Rayo Vallecano36814142944-1538
16Celta Vigo36910174254-1237
17Mallorca36715142941-1236
18CadizCadiz36614162549-2432
RGranada3649233770-3321
RAlmeria36211233572-3717


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