There will be victims whichever way the Neymar saga ends

The Neymar saga rumbles on and we're approaching the limit for everyone involved. The tension is high and there are external factors, alongside internal ones, which are only increasing that feeling.

From the outside there are two key figures involved. The first is PSG: a club unlike most others and one which gives the impression they are more interested in getting 'revenge' on Barça rather than finding a solution which suits everybody. The second is Real Madrid: they haven't stopped speaking with Neymar's entourage for weeks now, with the cash available to make a deal happen at any moment, and who crucially PSG have a very strong relationship with.

Madrid's arrival on the scene has caused the situation to turn on its head. Barça felt in control, remaining silent as they watched PSG and Neymar implode and were merely waiting to pick up the pieces. But now it's Madrid who are waiting to pounce should Barça fail to agree on terms with PSG. There are, however, issues inside the Camp Nou hierarchy which only adds greater pressure to proceedings.

It's a fact, as revealed by this newspaper, that the senior ranking members of the Barça squad want Neymar back at the club. They've spoken to the Brazilian on various occasions and, as such, are now part of the negotiation. In contrast to that, some of the directors at the club have leaked their own reservations about spending so much money on a player who left the way he did.

In the middle of both internal camps at Barça is the president: Josep Maria Bartomeu. He's got experience in managing to find a way to appease everyone in tough situations. Right now, he's almost damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. What's clear is that regardless of what happens with Neymar, there will be 'victims' once the transfer saga is over.