Philippe Coutinho has weighed in approvingly on a possible return for Neymar to FC Barcelona while at the Mediterranean International Cup youth football tournament, saying the Paris Saint-Germain forward “is an extremely good player.”

The two Brazilians are said to be close friends.

“I have the pleasure of playing with him in the national team,” Coutinho said, “and it would be really good if he returned.” He also said he agreed with teammate Ivan Rakitić, who earlier had commented he’d welcome Neymar back.

Neymar made a shock move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, while Coutinho arrived from Liverpool to Barcelona a few months later. After PSG’s exit from the UEFA Champions League, Neymar has been linked with a move back to Camp Nou.

Coutinho also gave his opinion about the news that another Brazilian, Arthur Melo, would be joining the Catalans from Grêmio. “Arthur is a great player,” Coutinho began. “I was with him in the national team once, and you can see he has a lot of quality on the pitch.

Coutinho talked about Barcelona’s big game in the Champions League against Chelsea, which he cannot participate in as he is cup tied: “The game against Chelsea is a very difficult one because they have a great team, but we have to play the way we know. I will be in the stands cheering them on and for sure we will win.”