Barcelona Striker linked with exit

The ball has been firmly placed in Neymar's court by former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol, who insisted that the forward must step up and clarify the situation.

He has largely been a silent figure so far this summer as he continues to be linked with a Camp Nou exit.

Paris Saint-Germain appears to be the likely destination for the Brazilian, who has not yet made any public declaration about his future, much to Puyol's chagrin.

"I don't know what's going to happen with Neymar. He needs to talk and explain what he wants to do because I can't control him or speak for him," said the former defender.

"The decision needs to be made by him. I'm not responsible for the club so I don't know if they have already decided on what they're going to do.

"I'm not sure if he dreams of leaving but it is getting harder for a player to spend his entire career with one team. Football is changing, even though there are special cases like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta."

Last year was not a successful one for the Blaugrana, something which Puyol acknowledged, but he believes that the hiring of Ernesto Valverde puts them in a strong position to bounce straight back.

"Things were tough for Barcelona last season. You can't always win but winning the Copa doesn't compare with LaLiga or the Champions League," he added.

"Winning a trophy is always nice though and they will want to win everything again this year. The team won lots of titles with Luis Enrique and he did a great job.

"Now, there is a new man in charge and the ideas of the team won't change. He will have his nuances, as with every coach, but largely the philosophy remains the same.

"Valverde's teams have always played well so we will see how it goes. He has a spectacular squad and I'm sure they'll be fighting for everything."