Barcelona midfielder Arthur says he is “praying” that Neymar will make a sensational return to the club.

Neymar made a world-record €222million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017. However, he has constantly been linked to a return to Spain, with speculation rife that he is unhappy in the French capital.

Real Madrid have reportedly been monitoring the situation, while a return to Barcelona has also been mentioned.

Arthur, who made a €40million switch to Barca this summer from Gremio, hopes his Brazil international team-mate will be his club team-mate too one day.

“I personally am praying for him to come because he is a superstar, it is indisputable,” Arthur told Mundo Deportivo.

“I think that the more great players the team has, the better.”

Arthur says he has been trying to convince Neymar to return.

“Personally, I’m doing a lot of work to get him back, but he has his life, he knows what he’s doing and I do not know how deep those negotiations are, if there are options for him to come or not.

“But he is a personal friend and a professional that I admire a lot and would be very happy if he could come back here.”