Xavi Behind Neymar’s Decision to Snub Barcelona Return for Al Hilal

• Neymar warned Barcelona he would not return to the club as long as Xavi is the manager
• Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona fell through due to Xavi’s lack of enthusiasm
• The Brazil forward has joined Al-Hilal on a two-year deal after leaving Paris Saint-Germain

Xavi has been revealed as the main reason that Neymar decided against returning to Barcelona, despite the Catalan club’s interest in re-signing the Brazilian superstar from Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG were determined to offload the 31-year-old forward, who they bought for a world-record fee of €222 million in 2017 from Barcelona. The Camp Nou was one of the destinations the Brazilian was considering.

According to Football Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Neymar said that he would not return to Barcelona as long as Xavi is the manager, despite Barcelona’s hierarchy being in favour of his return.

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The Barcelona coach held reservations about Neymar’s arrival at the club as the 31-year-old’s attitude and off-field issues concerned Xavi, who was not looking to disrupt the harmony currently in the dressing room, Barca Universal reports.

Neymar eventually joined the train to Saudi Arabia after the Brazil international agreed a two-year deal with Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal.

Why Chelsea rejected Neymar signing

Meanwhile, Chelsea were offered the chance to sign Neymar this summer, but the London club decided against the move in order to protect their younger players, Football London reports.

Neymar had informed his entourage that he wanted to leave the Parisians before the transfer window shut, and a move to Stamford Bridge was rumoured for the Brazilian forward, as he previously worked with Mauricio Pochettino.

Contrary to transfer rumours, talks with Neymar were never concrete as Pochettino is focused on helping Chelsea starlet Mykhailo Mudryk realise his potential this season.

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Perks for Neymar at Al-Hilal

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Al-Hilal will pay a reported transfer fee of €90mil to PSG to secure Neymar. Furthermore, the former Barcelona man will earn a mind-boggling salary of €160mil for two seasons.

In addition to that hefty paycheck, the Brazilian star will receive more perks. For instance, he will get a private plane and a sprawling mansion with dedicated staff to cater to his needs.

In addition, he will receive astonishing financial bonuses and incentives, including reportedly receiving a significant bonus of €80,000 for each Al-Hilal victory.