These are crucial times for MSN. Since everyone stopped using the instant messenger service, this once-mighty acronym has been reliant almost solely on Messi, Suarez and Neymar to keep the brand alive.

But amid persistent speculation that that the latter attacking superstar is on the verge of quitting Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, MSN is at risk of total annihilation. It’s do or die. And it appears that M and S are pulling out all the stops to keep N on board.

The Spanish paper Sport reveals that Lionel and Luis have taken Neymar aside and attempted to persuade him to reject PSG’s advances and stay at the Nou Camp.

The trio reportedly had a “long chat” on Saturday night at the Sheraton hotel in New Jersey, where the squad is staying on its pre-season USA our.

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“It was a tough conversation which lasted more than an hour, and Neymar listened attentively to his team-mates,” the article states. “They told him that he can’t leave.”

As well they might. Without Neymar by their side, Messi and Suarez would be reduced to M & S, which is a shop where middle-class women in their early 50s buy their underwear, or MS, which is a debilitating neurological disease, or just Lionel and Luis, who sound like a couple of guys who have opened an eponymous hair salon.

Even if Barca replace Neymar with another attacker, such as the recently re-signed Gerard Deulofeu, the strike force could evolve into an inferior acronym such as MSG, a notorious flavour enhancer that makes you eat too many crisps.

It’s fortunate, then, that the MSN hotel chat seems to have been a success. Sport concludes that it ended with Neymar declaring, “I’ll stay.” Although, given the reported length of the discussion, he may have just said that to get the other two to shut up.

‘Arrogant’ Nasri

In a further blow to PSG’s ambitious transfer plans, Talksport says their move for Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has been “put on hold”, while Gunners manager Arsene Wenger says the Parisians are only trying to sign Neymar because they “missed out” on signing Alexis (Mirror). He just can’t resist a dig, that guy.

He also can’t resist William Carvalho. The Star claims Arsenal have “reignited” efforts to sign the Sporting Lisbon midfielder they have been consistently linked with for about three years. However, they face competition from fellow mid-table outfits West Brom and Newcastle.

Liverpool have finally given up trying to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita after belatedly realising that a club backed by Red Bull doesn’t actually need to sell any players, even when you bid £66m for them, reports the Telegraph. The Germans will have no choice next summer though, when the Guinean’s £48m release clause kicks in.

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Elsewhere, West Brom are set to “step up the chase” for £10m-rated Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling (Star), Newcastle are “hopeful” of signing Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas for £4m (Sun) and Manchester City are ready to sell Samir Nasri on the cheap after his team-mates “shunned” him on their USA pre-season tour due to his “arrogance” (Times). But it’s not Nasri’s fault that no one acknowledges the fact he is City’s best player, is it?

@darlingkevin