Neymar: Arda Turan is a great player

Do you think that a new president cancelling Arda's deal to Barca will be bad for the team? Neymar has backed Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu's decision to sign Arda Turan, claiming the midfielder is one of the best players in La Liga.

The Blaugrana announced on Monday that they had agreed a €41 million deal with Atletico Madrid, though the deal has been complicated by Barca's presidential elections.

Whoever wins the vote on July 20 retains the right to veto the proposed transfer at a cost of €4.1m to the Catalan club.

Agusti Benedito has already confirmed that should he triumph, he will send Arda back to Atletico, claiming the deal was "an act of disloyalty", while fellow candidate Joan Laporta admitted that he has yet to decide whether he would keep the 28-year-old winger.

Neymar, though, is in no doubt about Arda's potential value to Barca - even though the former Galatasaray man will not be eligible for selection until January because of the club's transfer ban.

"Arda Turan is a great player," the Brazil captain told SPORT. "He is one of the best there is in La Liga. He has great quality and will help us a lot."

Meanwhile, Neymar has defended his decision to leave the Selecao after he was hit with a tournament-ending suspension during the Copa America.

The forward was banned for four games for sparking a mass brawl and lashing out at the referee following Brazil's group-stage loss to Colombia.

Neymar has been criticised for leaving host nation Chile after it was confirmed the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) would not be challenging the suspension - but the 23-year-old maintains that it was the right decision for the team.

"I told Dunga and his coaching staff that it would be difficult to stay there," the ex-Santos starlet stated. "If I had stayed, it would only have hurt my team-mates.

"If I had smiled in training, they would have said that I did not care anymore.

"And if there was pouting, they would have said that I was angry.

"So, it was best to leave. We talked and left the issue in the hands of Dunga and the CBF."

Brazil were subsequently eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay, prompting another national inquest into the Selecao's failings - a year on from their humiliating World Cup failure on home soil.

However, Neymar believes the five-time world champions need to come to terms with the fact they can't win all of the time.

"Losing is part of football," he added. "Now we need to prepare well for the World Cup qualifiers.

"Football is very even. Brazil does not always win. It is becoming increasingly difficult."

Neymar will miss the Selecao's first two qualifiers because of his ban.