Former Barcelona player and the club’s ex-sporting director Eric Abidal has claimed he was close to re-signing Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 but the club’s board decided to bring Antoine Griezmann instead. Neymar, a Champions League winner with Barcelona, joined PSG for a world record 222 million Euros in 2017 but has been constantly linked with a return to Barcelona where he would reunite with Lionel Messi. But despite rumours and reports suggesting his arrival at Camp Nou, Neymar has remained at Parc des Princes with Barcelona failing to enter into negotiations with PSG owners. Lionel Messi Transfer News Update: Argentine Star Yet To Receive Offer From Barcelona Or Other Clubs.

But Abidal, who was one of those sacked by the Barcelona board after the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the last season’s Champions League semi-finals, has claimed that just days before the 2019 summer transfer window came to a close, he had travelled to Paris with the club CEO to hold discussions with PSG director Leonardo. The Frenchman claimed that Barcelona were close to sealing a deal with PSG for Neymar’s return to the club but the then club president Josep Maria Bartomeu decided to sign Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. Erling Haaland Transfer News: Norwegian Striker Considering Leaving Borussia Dortmund in Summer.

Neymar has since spoken of his intentions of signing a new deal at PSG after seeing his attempt to return to Barcelona fail. In 2019, he had publicly stated his wish to re-unite with Messi at Barcelona and was also close to making a move. His current contract at PSG ends in in the summer of 2022.

“Ten days before the end of the transfer window, I went to Paris to talk with Leonardo [PSG’s sporting director] and I was with my CEO, and we were talking about Neymar,” Abidal was quoted by Goal as telling to The Telegraph. “I think if the CEO goes to Paris Saint-Germain, it’s because we can sign him. If we didn't sign Griezmann before, I think 100 per cent we could have re-signed Neymar because what we needed was a winger and when Neymar was in Barcelona he was amazing.

“This is not about which player is better, it was what I thought was the position we needed at the time. The team needed a real winger. The president decided to sign Griezmann. One of the arguments against Neymar was that he had a court case against the club, so it’s not easy. They said he would have to stop the court process if he wanted to come back. That wasn’t my problem because I was not at the club when that dispute happened. In my view, I could sign the player, but it didn’t happen,” said Abidal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2021 09:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).