Neymar’s return to Santos has sparked a wave of excitement in Brazilian soccer. As the club’s marquee figure, the Brazilian star is eager to strengthen the team with top-tier talent. Now, one of Lionel Messi’s Argentina teammates and a fellow World Cup winner has revealed that Neymar personally called him to join Santos.
Despite the storied rivalry between Brazil and Argentina, Neymar has forged strong bonds with several Argentine players—most notably Lionel Messi. Another is midfielder Leandro Paredes, who played alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain and remains close with him to this day.
Speaking with Argentine journalists Esteban and Gastón Edul, Paredes recalled a moment after Argentina’s 4-1 victory over Brazil: “Neymar sent me one of the match clips (Argentina vs Brazil), laughing, and told me we didn’t need to play like that against Brazil. I talked to him, and he said that off the pitch it was terrible.”
When asked if Neymar had ever asked him to come to Santos, Paredes didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Even now he keeps messaging me saying I have to go to Santos, he drives me crazy,” Paredes stated. “I told him I don’t want to, to stop bothering me. He always calls me, tells me he wants to play with me, so he’s always reaching out. We’ll see what happens,” he ended.
Paredes recently extended his contract with AS Roma through June 2026. While Neymar would clearly love a reunion with his Argentine friend, a move to Santos seems unlikely. The midfielder has expressed more interest in eventually returning to his boyhood club, Boca Juniors.
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Another setback for Neymar at Santos
After parting ways with Al Hilal, Neymar’s return to Santos was hailed as a blockbuster move. But his persistent injury troubles have continued to hinder his time on the field. Following another setback in a match against Atlético Mineiro, the forward is expected to be sidelined once again.
On Saturday, Santos released a statement confirming the injury: “He underwent imaging tests, which confirmed a new injury, this time in the semimembranosus muscle. The athlete will continue with muscle-strengthening work, always aiming to achieve better muscle conditioning to prevent future occurrences. He will be re-evaluated periodically for monitoring and further treatment decisions.”
While the club didn’t announce a specific timeline for his return, the nature of the injury suggests Neymar may not be back until late May. That would leave him with only five matches remaining under his current contract with Santos.
