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The Liga champions have been heavily linked with the Brazilian, with one star at Camp Nou claiming a contract offer had been made to aid the cause
Luis Suarez says when Gerard Pique speaks “sometimes you have to take everything with a pinch of salt” after the defender said Barcelona stars were ready to alter their salaries to accommodate the return of Neymar.
Brazil star Neymar was heavily linked with a switch back to Camp Nou just two seasons after making a record-breaking €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Barca were unable to strike an agreement with PSG despite the best efforts of La Liga’s champions.
Centre-back Pique said last month: “We didn’t stump up money.
“What we said to the president was whether we could change our contracts because we knew there was a Financial Fair Play issue… so we said to the president, rather than earn something in year one, we could earn it in year two or three or four.”
Star forward Suarez, who formed a devastating trio with Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barca, insists the players had no involvement with the talks and believes not everything Pique said should be taken at face value.
“Sometimes you have to take what Geri says with a pinch of salt,” Uruguayan Suarez told Sport.
“He has the gift of the gab and a lot of experience in making comments. In this case, he knows and is completely aware that the players were completely removed from the Ney case.
“We were ready to welcome him – him or any other player that wants to come – but always distanced from what was going on.”
Suarez also insisted everything is well with close-season signing Antoine Griezmann and his integration with Barcelona’s squad.
It was reported captain Messi objected to the signing of the former Atletico Madrid forward due to his desire for Neymar to return, although the Argentinian branded such suggestions as a “lie”.
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Suarez said: “[His integration has been] spectacular, sometimes things are misunderstood. Both Leo and I and Geri himself welcomed him a year earlier, said he was a great player and was one of the best in the world.
“He came from being world champion and we already praised him. Then we didn’t know what was going to happen to him, we weren’t sure he was coming this year.
“We treat him as one more. It is also true that some have more affinity with some partners than others; in his case he gets along very well with the French players.”
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