Transfer Centre

Barcelona 'open to Neymar, Philippe Coutinho swap deal'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 17 January 2019

Barca 'open to Neymar, Coutinho swap deal'

Barcelona would "seize upon" the opportunity to swap Philippe Coutinho with Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, according to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter.

Barcelona are reportedly open to the idea of luring Neymar back to Camp Nou by offering Philippe Coutinho in return to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar pushed through a transfer to PSG in August 2017 for a record £198m fee, ending a successful four-year stint in Catalonia.

Despite his best attempts to play down a return to Barca, rumours are still abound that the Brazil international and his former club are keen on a reunion this summer.

Coutinho, meanwhile, has been linked with a move in the opposite direction after struggling to hold down a place in the starting lineup, being used from the off in just half of his side's La Liga fixtures this term.

According to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, Barca would "seize upon" the opportunity to swap players later this year.

"[Barcelona] have great plans that if Neymar comes on the market, which is feasible because of his own personal preference and because PSG are still subject to stringent checks on whether they have or haven't breached Financial Fair Play," he told Sky Sports News.

"Philippe Coutinho was bought at a time when Barcelona were smarting from the way they had been treated by Neymar, they were short of answers, they set their hearts on the player and they wanted to give a very quick sop to their fans and sponsors.

"But it hasn't worked out the way in which either party fancied that it would. If there was an opportunity to do something with PSG, where Coutinho went to PSG and Neymar came back to the Camp Nou, then the people on the board would absolutely seize upon it."

Neymar is due to return to Ligue 1 action this weekend when PSG take on Guingamp at the Parc des Princes.