Xavi backs Neymar to return to Barcelona

Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez hopes Neymar returns to Camp Nou, saying he had "no doubts" over the forward's quality.

Neymar, 28, has been linked with a return to the La Liga giant nearly three years after leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain.

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Xavi saw no reason why the Brazil international would not return, saying his former team-mate was among the world's best.

"Why not? Soccer-wise I have no doubts and I have lived with him in a locker room and he seems to me a great person," the Al-Sadd coach told DjMariiO in a YouTube interview.

"He was a professional here in Barcelona and would make a difference. Then there is the social, bureaucratic issue. I don't go there. But on the field he is among the five best in the world."

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Another player Barcelona have been linked with a move for is star Inter forward Lautaro Martinez. Xavi praised the Argentina international's quality, saying: "I like him. Who doesn't?

"He stands out well, he gives depth, he plays space, with few spaces. Barca does well when interested."