Neymar: Messi and Suarez friendship makes us all better players

Neymar has explained how Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and himself have become best friends off the pitch as well as a potent strikeforce on it.

The Barcelona trio, nicknamed MSN due to the initials of their surnames, scored a stunning 122 club goals between them as they won the treble last season - and this term look set to surpass this number.

Ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg clash at home to Arsenal, Neymar has explained how the Camp Nou trident overcame national rivalries to become the most feared trio on the planet.

"[With Leo and Luis] we get along very well," he told Goal. "Not only on the field, but mostly off it. Today I can say we became friends, and when that happens in football you help your mates even more during the matches.

"We developed a strong bond, being three South American players and 'rivals', it's something very hard to accomplish, but we did it, playing together and forging a good friendship. But most importantly, it's working well on the field."

Neymar has been a Barcelona player since May 2013, when he joined from Santos in a deal estimated to have cost the Spanish club €86.2 million.

After a solid, if unspectacular, first season, the Brazil international enjoyed treble success in his second campaign and Luis Enrique's side are still on course for a repeat of those heroics in 2015-16.

"I'm very happy about how the season has gone so far," Neymar continued, "but I want to improve in every match, every training session, so I can help my team-mates win more titles."

There have been rumours this season that Real Madrid are plotting an enormous bid for Neymar in the off-season, but the 24-year-old says he is satisfied with life at Camp Nou

"I think I managed to adapt further to Barcelona's style, it's my third year with my team-mates," he added. "It's a huge honour for me, a great joy to play for a club like Barcelona.

"I always dreamed of doing so. I'm always happy, in every game, every win I keep writing my history, and I hope to do even more from now on."