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PSG Transfer News: Parisiens Open Door to Neymar Move, Latest on Exit Rumours
May 20, 2018
Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has suggested star forward Neymar could leave the club this summer amid a new wave of speculation involving the Brazil international.
Speaking to L'Equipe (h/t Goal's Sacha Pisani), Al-Khelaifi emphasised the club comes above all, saying: "Nothing and nobody is bigger than the club, not the coach nor the players. The club is and always will be first. It is bigger. If someone does not accept that and is not happy, then they leave."
Pisani noted PSG have so far maintained Neymar is not for sale despite persistent speculation linking him with Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, sports writer Duncan Castles recently released two separate reports on the 26-year-old. On Twitter, he stated the Ligue 1 champions would be willing to leave him on the bench and not play him at all rather than sell him, a threat they supposedly also made to Marco Verratti:
Castles also appeared on the Transfer Window Podcast with an even more sensational report, saying Neymar pushed Les Parisiens to hire Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho (via the Express' Jack Otway):
"One of the things Neymar asked for as a condition of remaining was a change of manager, and the manager he proposed was Jose Mourinho.
"Jose Mourinho tried really hard to get Neymar last summer.
"He had a lot of conversations with the player, telling him he wanted to bring him from Barcelona to the Premier League - and Neymar encouraged that.
"You can see the conversations last year between the two had an effect on the player. Obviously Manchester United retain an interest in Neymar."
The player himself recently told reporters he's getting sick and tired of the constant speculation, per Marca.
The former Barcelona man has been linked with a return to Spain from the moment he joined PSG last summer, and the noise has only gotten louder since his club season came to an injury-enforced end in February.
He's expected to feature for Brazil at the FIFA World Cup, and in all likelihood, a good showing in Russia will only lead to even more rumours.
PSG appear adamant they will keep him and have enough financial muscle to turn down any offer, no matter how enticing it may be. Real, on the other hand, are among the few clubs who could match the enormous €222 million (then worth £200 million) the French outfit paid for him a year ago.
Al-Khelaifi's comments should go down well in Spain, as it's the first time one of PSG's power men has suggested a deal could be made.