Raphinha opens about his conversation with Neymar about a potential return to Camp Nou

In a recent interview, Barcelona superstar Raphinha opened up about a conversation he had with his Brazilian counterpart, Neymar. Raphinha spoke about discussing the club and the fans' affection for Neymar, and how they would love to see him return to Camp Nou. Speaking to the media, Raphinha stated that Neymar’s love for the club remains intact. While he shared details of their conversation, the current Barcelona star emphasized that the decision lies neither with him nor with Neymar, but solely with the club. He said:

There was a lot of talk about Neymar returning to Barça. I told him: 'Come on, you know the club loves you, the fans love you, and everyone would love to have you back.' But in the end, it was neither up to me nor him

Barcelona secured Neymar’s services from Santos in 2014, and he quickly set the league alight with his performances. Forming a formidable trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Neymar helped terrorize defenses both domestically and in Europe. Touted as Messi’s heir at the club, he made a stunning move to the French capital. However, after failing to reach his peak consistently, he moved to the Middle East, where a series of injury-plagued campaigns led to a return to Brazil. 

Meanwhile, Raphinha has surpassed Neymar’s record in Barcelona colors, registering 56 goal contributions in the ongoing campaign. This breaks Neymar’s previous record of 51 contributions during the 2015/16 season.

What did Hansi Flick say about the potential return of Neymar Jr to Barcelona?

When the potential return of Neymar was brought up with Hansi Flick, the Barcelona manager responded by saying that it is not his responsibility and that his focus remains on the current team. The German emphasized the importance of making the most of the opportunities available to the club. He also stated that such decisions are the responsibility of others within the club. He said:

It's not my job. I am focused on this team. We have great opportunities, and we want to make the most of them. We need to stay focused. That’s a task for other people at the club