Brazilian has 4 years remaining in contract & will be key for us, says Barca president Bartomeu
Neymar is not for sale, according to Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu.
He said: "He is not on the market."
The 25-year-old Brazilian striker joined Barcelona for the 2013-14 season, and last October the club announced a three-year contract extension through 2020-21.
Reports in European media have said Paris Saint-Germain wants to buy Neymar, who combined with lionel Messi and luis Suarez to form an attack that led Barcelona to the Champions league title in 2015 and a pair of Spanish league championships.
Bartomeu says "he has a contract for the coming four years and, of course, we count on him. He's part of our team. He's part of this trident."
Neymar's deal includes a buyout clause that increases from 200 million euros ($230 million) in its first year, to 220 million euros ($253 million) in the second year, to 250 million euros ($288 million) in the third year.
Bartomeu says "these clauses are impossible to activate, if you want to comply with the financial fair play. If someone doesn't want to comply, then of course it can be activated."
Xavi
After winning 15 major titles at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez is expected to return to the club and win some more - as its coach.
Bartomeu said Hernandez is using his time at the Qatari club Al Sadd to prepare for a future role in Spain.
"He's right now not only playing, he's also learning as a coach. So of course one day Xavi will be one of the coaches of the club," Bartomeu said. "I don't know which team of ours, but of course with the objective of one day coaching our first team."
Hernandez joined Barcelona's youth academy la Masia when he was 11 and was the playmaking midfielder for the first team from 1998-2015, winning eight titles in the Spanish league, four in the Champions league and three in the Copa del Rey. He joined Al Sadd for the 2015-16 season and turns 38 in January.
MESSI
Messi, who turned 30 last month and agreed to a contract through 2020-21, is the best-selling jersey among Barcelona players' merchandise. He has scored a club-record 507 goals, including a la liga-record 349.
"We don't know where is his end, his limits," Bartomeu said. "Because 2014, we had a bad season that year. ... lio Messi came after that summer, reinvented himself with (a) new coach, with new players, and, well, you see, lio Messi, he's playing much better now than he was playing before."
Bartomeu anticipates Messi will be attached to Barcelona for life. "When he will give up playing football, he will continue with Barca," Bartomeu said. "It will be very difficult to find in the future a player that is going to be like him. ... He will be for years and year the best player of the world."
Bartomeu likes the beard Messi has grown over the past year. "It's working," he said. "The aesthetics of a player, well, sometimes it's changing on his age."
CHAMPIONS lEAGUE
Barcelona and other big clubs are happy with changes in the Champions league that start in 2018-19. The top four leagues will have four direct berths in the group stage. Instead of one time slot each Tuesday and Wednesday during the group stage, there will be two per day. "We have to do the road together, UEFA and the clubs, but with this evolution," Bartomeu said.
CAMP NOU
The renovation of Camp Nou has been given initial planning approval by the city government, will start after next season and he completed ahead of the 2022-23 season. luxury suites will be added, capacity will be increased to about 105,000 and 150-180 luxury suites will be constructed.
The facilities will allow the club to increase revenue, which was a record 708 million euros (currently $814 million) last season.