Neymar: Messi’s reserved the Ballon d’Or

“Leo’s fine. It’s a delicate injury but he looks good and looks to be very happy with his recovery”.

“We haven’t discussed anything with Neymar yet, neither is there anything official on the table, nor has there been any formal conversations”, Mestre told Mundo Deportivo.

“Everyone wants to score, to be stronger, and we have to do more than we did last season and we have to do something different to change things around”.

“Of course [I want to renew], but we’ll talk about that later”.

Following a hard first season at the Camp Nou in 2013-14, Neymar formed part of a lethal front three last term alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with the trio registering 122 goals between them in the league, cup and on the European stage.

Globo Esporte reported in the finals days of the summer transfer window that Louis van Gaal were launching a €190m (£140m) bid to make Neymar his marquee signing of the summer. “I hope to do my work, to help my teammates with goals, to keep progressing”. “This year the Ballon d’Or is reserved for Messi, the best player in the world is already decided”. He’s the best and an idol for me.

“The truth is I was very surprised, we don’t like it when they whistle”, he said. And if I learn a lot then maybe one day I can win.

With Messi now sidelined until late November with a knee injury, Neymar said he was “not frightened” by the challenge of playing a leading role in Barca’s attack.

“We have to do more than we have been to beat our opponents”, he said.

“I knew that was not going to happen because those sort of things don’t affect me”.