Neymar Says 'Every Great Player' Has to Play in Premier League During Career

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has hinted he may move to the Premier League one day, saying "every great player" should spend some time in England's top competition.  

The Brazil international did a Q&A session on his official YouTube channel that included questions from the likes of Luis Suarez, Gabriel Jesus and Benjamin Mendy. The latter asked him about possibly moving to England, and Neymar responded favourably:

Mark Jones of the Mirror provided the full response:

"It's a big competition. One of the greatest in the world. We don't know how tomorrow will be, but I believe that every great player, at least one day, has to play in the Premier League. If you're playing there, then I hope you can keep enjoying the Premier League, because you deserve only the best! Hugs! Thanks!"

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

Neymar also backed Manchester City to win this year's Premier League title and surprisingly named Manchester United as the team he expects to finish in second place.

Per Jones, the 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Real Madrid or a return to Barcelona, with transfer speculation constant since he joined PSG.

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Andrew Gilpin of the Daily Mirror) reported in October that his contract contains a release clause of €220 million ($249 million), the same fee that took him to France.

Neymar has been a success so far in Ligue 1, scoring an impressive 19 goals in 20 matches in his first season and maintaining a similar pace this campaign, with 11 in 12.

A move to the Premier League would come as something of a surprise, as Neymar has mostly been connected with La Liga since he left Spain. There were links to United while he was at Barcelona, however, and the Express' Bruce Archer reported there was still interest from the Red Devils in June.

United could surely use a world-class forward, given their struggles this season, and the huge commercial value of both the club and player would make for an intriguing partnership.

Jones highlighted City as likely suitors should Neymar favour a move to the Premier League because of their financial power.