|
MADRID, July 5-- FC Barcelona President Jose Maria Bartomeu has apparently ruled out a return to the club for Brazilian international Neymar. The Spanish press have spent several weeks speculating that Barca could be working to bring Neymar back from Paris Saint Germain, just two years after he paid the release clause on his contract to abandon the Camp Nou. Speaking in a press conference prior to the presentation of former Ajax midfielder Frenkie De Jong in Barcelona's stadium, Bartomeu said, "We know that Neymar wants to leave PSG but we also know that PSG don't want him to go, so there is no case for signing him." Bartomeu was also asked about French international Antoine Griezmann, who is expected to join Barca this summer after seeing his buyout clause with Atletico Madrid reduced from 200 million euros (224.4 million U.S. dollars) to 120 million euros. Griezmann has already said he will leave Atletico this summer and Bartomeu admitted the club had held talks with Atletico. "Yesterday we had a meeting in Madrid, (Miguel Angel) Gil Marin (Atletico's CEO) and Oscar Grau (CEO for Barca) saw each other and we asked if it was possible to negotiate for Griezmann," confirmed the Barca President. | 
