Denis Suarez says Barcelona players already knew Neymar was leaving for Paris Saint-Germain before Gerard Pique’s famous social media post suggesting the opposite, adding that squad members expected the transfer even as fans believed the Brazil star would remain at Camp Nou.
On 23 July 2017, Pique posted a photo with Neymar on X, then known as Twitter, with the caption "he stays" as transfer speculation grew. Neymar later joined Paris Saint-Germain for a reported 222m, setting a world-record fee and stunning many Barcelona supporters.
Suarez explained that the mood inside the dressing room was very different from the outside perception, saying: "There was a moment when we already knew he was leaving. With the 'se queda' photo, we already knew he was out,"
before recalling the confusion around that pre-season.
Suarez added that the squad first felt caught off guard by the speculation during the 2017 pre-season tour. "We were in pre-season, and all the commotion surrounding Neymar's future caught us by surprise. " Team members soon realised the forward had decided to go, despite public signals.
The midfielder also described how Pique’s message came about, revealing that it followed dressing-room teasing. Suarez said: "But there was a moment when we already knew he was leaving. We started telling Pique he didn't have the balls to post it, and he did. " The post quickly went viral worldwide.
According to Suarez, several Barcelona players tried to change Neymar’s mind about leaving. Suarez said: "There were close team-mates who tried to convince him to stay, and I also think he should have stayed. He was going to be huge at Barca. He was soon going to be number one. "
Before the 2017 move, Neymar scored 105 goals in 186 Barcelona matches across four seasons and formed a forward line with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The Brazil international then spent six years at Paris Saint-Germain, where Neymar scored 118 goals in all competitions.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar’s numbers stayed high in domestic and European competitions, though injuries often disrupted rhythm. Neymar later joined Al-Hilal, again facing fitness problems, before returning in January to Santos, the club where Neymar began a professional career in Brazil.
Key statistics from Neymar’s time at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are shown below for comparison.
Suarez’s comments give rare insight into how Neymar’s move unfolded inside the Barcelona squad, showing that while fans saw Pique’s "he stays" message as reassurance, players already expected the 222m transfer that reshaped Neymar’s career and altered Barcelona’s attacking plans.
Se queda. pic.twitter.com/RtPHUr9iTHGerard Piqu (@3gerardpique) July 23, 2017
