Neymar Says 'Everyone Knows' He Wanted to Leave PSG

Neymar said on Saturday that "everyone knows" he wanted to leave French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window.

The Brazilian told reporters he tried his best to quit the Parc des Princes, but the Ligue 1 side would not let him depart.

"Everyone knows I wanted to leave. I made it very clear. I won't go into details though, because it affects others. But I'm still a PSG player and my intention is to be happy on the pitch. My mind is on PSG.

"I always made it clear that I don't have anything against PSG or the fans. They were personal reasons. I had my reasons, and I tried my best to make it happen, but unfortunately they didn't let me. It's already happened, but this is the first and last time I want to talk about it."

Neymar was heavily linked with a return to former club Barcelona, but the Spanish champions could not agree a deal with PSG. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the Catalan giants "couldn't meet PSG's demands" but "did everything possible to sign him," per Marca.

The speculation over the Brazil international's future angered PSG supporters, and they booed the 27-year-old when he made his first appearance of the season against Strasbourg on Saturday:

Yet Neymar proved to be the match-winner for PSG. He scored an acrobatic overhead kick in stoppage time to secure three points for Thomas Tuchel's side.

Sports journalist Emlyn Begley noted the reaction from the fans when Neymar struck the decisive goal:

The star's desire to leave the club and return to Barcelona means he may have to get used to some harsh treatment from the club's supporters.

Tuchel told beIN Sports (h/t Get French Football News) after the match that he is unsure if the booing of Neymar will continue but added that "our fans love the club and that's why it was not easy for them."

The hostile reaction to Neymar on his return to the starting XI was no surprise, but the Brazilian may be able to silence the boos if he can continue to produce match-winning performances.