Jonathan Rea was linked to a move to the Barni Spark Racing Team, but the deal fell through ahead of his decision to retire.

Before the French World Superbike Round, Jonathan Rea says there are 'missing facts' around the reports that linked him to the Barni Spark Racing Team.

The six-time World Superbike Champion announced during the summer break that he would retire from full-time racing at the end of the 2025 season.

However, before announcing his decision to retire, it had been reported that the Northern Irishman was in discussions with multiple World Superbike squads, including Aruba.it Racing - Ducati, Team Pata GoEleven, and Barni Spark Racing.

Multiple reports suggested that Rea and Barni were closing in on a deal for the 2026 season, which fell apart in the latter stages.

But when he was asked about the Barni Spark Racing Team situation at Magny-Cours, Rea admitted that 'there are some missing facts' from the report from GPOne.

"The only thing I can tell you about that. is that there’s some missing facts," Rea told WorldSBK.com.

"Either Marco’s [Barnabo] not factual or your article is not factual, because there’s a strange situation.

"It’s been a decision that’s been a long time coming. When I was considering any opportunities next, I spoke with a range of different manufacturers, teams, and nothing was really lighting the fire and nothing that I felt that I could be super-competitive.

"I didn’t read the whole story, but I think the information you received and that I received is very different. That’s all to say."