Ronaldinho is still hoping to see Neymar return to Barcelona, with the Blaugrana legend eager for his fellow Brazilian to reform the fearsome ‘MSN’ strike force with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward had been hoping to make his way back to Camp Nou over the summer.
A window-long saga eventually saw the deadline pass with no deal done, with Neymar being left to try and build bridges while maintaining his high standards in the French capital .
It is expected that Barca will rekindle their interest further down the line, with a familiar face to those in Catalunya having made it clear that he wants to retrace the steps he took when sealing a record-breaking transfer in 2017 .
Ronaldinho would like to see Neymar back alongside fellow global superstars in Spain, telling El Mundo : “I like my friends to be happy no matter where they are.
“But it is logical that I would love to see him again at Barcelona with Suarez, Messi. Together they did amazing things.
“Without a doubt, Neymar is our biggest idol in Brazil today.
“I love his style of play. Whenever I have a chance to see him play, it does me good. I hope everything goes well for him.”
Getty
Ronaldinho has played against Neymar in the past, as he was coming to the end of his own distinguished career, and once had the pleasure of working alongside Messi.
The Argentine superstar burst onto the scene while the World Cup winner was still on the books at Camp Nou.
The playmaking baton was passed from one South American to another, with Ronaldinho admitting that few could have predicted that Messi would go on to become a six-time Ballon d’Or winner and all-time great.
“It was very difficult to know because he was very young but everyone already said that in the lower categories of Barca there was a very talented young man,” said the two-time World Player of the Year.
“Then we met and started playing together. For me, it is a matter of great pride to have participated in the beginning of his career.”
Quizzed on whether he ever gave Messi any advice, Ronaldinho added: “No, he already knew what to do.
“We have always talked from friend to friend. Thank God, we still get along very well.”
Messi is enjoying another productive campaign with Barca, netting 11 goals in 14 appearances, and will be looking to help Ernesto Valverde’s side past Real Mallorca on Saturday.