Barcelona resigned to losing Neymar to PSG after Josep Bartomeu fails in last-ditch attempt to change his mind

Barcelona's board are all but resigned to losing Neymar in the biggest transfer in football history after club president Josep Bartomeu appeared to fail in a belated attempt to change the player's mind.

Sources who witnessed the head-to-head at the club's summer training base in New Jersey on Friday say it did not go well for Bartomeu, who departed looking less than happy with what he had been told by Neymar.

Spain's Diario AS said the meeting lasted 15 minutes and when the president left he barely acknowledged those waiting for news of how the summit had gone.

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Neymar is currently training with Barcelona at their pre-season training camp in New Jersey

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Barcelona chief Josep Bartomeu travelled to the training camp to a hold a meeting with him

The club's president now accepts that only a stunning change of heart from Neymar can prevent his departure and Barcelona's priority is to try to take control of a situation that has caught them by surprise this summer.

The club have grown used to Neymar's complaints about not being comfortable at the club almost since he arrived in 2013 but most gripes have been seen as a push for a pay increase.

Last season the player flirted with various clubs including Paris Saint-Germain but he was ultimately appeased and ended up signing a new contract until 2021 with a buy-out clause that rose to €222miliion (£196m) on July 1 of this year. 

The only other potential obstacle to the deal of the century happening is that PSG have trouble making that payment to the player so he can deposit his buy-out clause with the league.