Barca president rules out 'unfeasible' Neymar, Lautaro additions

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has nixed talk of a summer return for Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, citing the financial constraints placed on the club due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Neymar? In this situation, it's unfeasible," Bartomeu told the club's website. "Nor does PSG want to sell him."

Unable to flex their financial muscle, Barcelona's desire to lure Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to the Camp Nou has also been affected.

"Barca have spoken with Inter about Lautaro, but the talks have stopped. The situation doesn't invite large investments," Bartomeu said.

Bartomeu admits that Barcelona have incurred losses of €200 million between March and June after the spread of COVID-19 suspended operations in Spain for three months. The work stoppage and return to play in empty stadiums will have ripple effects, with Bartomeu adding, "In the 2020-21 season we expected to post €1.1 billion, but we'll have 30% of that.

"All the big European clubs are affected. Everyone works to adapt," Bartomeu continued. "And this isn't going to last a year, but three or four."

Neymar joined PSG from the La Liga luminaries in 2017 for a world-record €222-million fee. Barcelona pursued him last summer in an approach that eventually collapsed.

Bartomeu admits transfers of the magnitude of Neymar and Lautaro have been shelved in the interim due to revenue losses, saying, "It forces us to be very rigorous in management: We must review which investments are essential and which can wait."