Lionel Messi 'calls Neymar to tell him to join Barcelona'

Lionel Messi has reportedly called Neymar to encourage the Brazilian to opt for a return to Barcelona rather than joining Real Madrid.

Neymar, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record £198m fee in 2017, has been pushing for a move away from the Parc des Princes all summer.

Barcelona are determined to re-sign the 27-year-old, but their refusal to pay the full amount for Neymar threatens to be a stumbling block.

According to Marca, Messi has waded into the saga by phoning Neymar in an attempt to convince his former teammate to reject the prospect of playing for Los Blancos.

PSG want to recoup all of the £200m that they shelled out for Neymar two years ago, but Barcelona are unable to offer such a figure having already spent £229.4m this summer.

Real president Florentino Perez has reportedly entered the race for Neymar after the club gave up on trying to sign Paul Pogba, who was Zinedine Zidane's number one target.