Lionel Messi feared Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar would join Real Madrid in the summer if Barcelona failed to land his signature.
The Brazil international made it clear that he wanted to depart Parc des Princes but after a period of intense speculation that stretched throughout the transfer window, he ultimately stayed with the Ligue 1 champions.
Barcelona and Real Madrid were heavily linked with the 27-year-old but ultimately neither was willing to match PSG’s asking price for the prolific frontman.
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Nevertheless, in the game of transfer poker, Messi feared that Madrid, who spent lavishly to attract the likes of Eden Hazard from Chelsea, Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt and Eder Militao from Porto over the course of the window, would swoop in to sign Neymar.