FC Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic says that although he would love Neymar to return to the Blaugrana, he does, however, believe the Brazilian's departure from the club has had its benefits.
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The 25-year-old former Santos star left the Spanish giants for Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of the season for a world record fee of €222 million (R3.45 billion), and the Croatian midfielder feels the team is a lot more "balanced" since Neymar left.
"We had more verve when Neymar was here, maybe that's something we lack a little now," Rakitic told El Mundo Deportivo.
"If I had a magic wand, I would bring him back! He is the sort of player you would love on your team and, of course, I would prefer him to be here.
"But the truth is we are doing very well without him here and he's now at a different club, so it is not right to speak about him more.
"We have changed our system and we are now more balanced, both defensively and offensively, although we still have room to improve."
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Neymar made 186 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring 105 goals and assisting a further 80 strikes.
Do you think Barcelona has become a more stable side since Neymar's departure? Have your say in the comments section below.
