Barcelona News: Bartomeu says Neymar won't be targeted by the club in January, explains why deal with PSG fell through

What's the story?

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has admitted that the club worked hard to land Neymar Jr in the summer transfer window but revealed that they will not target the forward in the January window.

In case you didn't know...

Neymar's rumored exit from Paris Saint-Germain was the talk of the summer, with a series of claims and updates from Spain and France speculating the same. The Brazil international also garnered interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.

Swap deals involving the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Ivan Rakitic in return for Neymar's signature were suggested throughout the summer too, but a deal never materialized owing to the player's market value and wages.

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi was also rumored to have requested the club for a reunion with Neymar, with other Blaugrana players having expressed their excitement at the prospect of his return as well.

The heart of the matter

Bartomeu has explained why the transfer deal with PSG failed to materialize, and ruled out a possible new approach for Neymar in January.

Speaking to the Catalan press, he revealed (via Marca), "He's [Neymar] not in the plans for January. Barcelona couldn't meet PSG's demands [this summer]."

"Barcelona never offered players for Neymar, it was PSG that asked for them. We did everything possible to sign him."

"It's a fact that Neymar asked PSG to negotiate only with Barcelona. The signing wasn't easy, on an economic or social level. [Lionel] Messi didn't tell me to sign Neymar, that's a myth. The players don't have a say in signings, it's the sporting department, technical department and the directors who decide."

What's next?

Barcelona will return to action when they face Valencia in LaLiga, on September 14.