Valverde calm amid Neymar-PSG rumour

Paris, July 22: Neymar’s decision to post a photo of himself in thoughtful contemplation sparked a fresh wave of speculation that he is on the verge of sealing a world record 222-million-euro ($256.8 million) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Instagram picture, even accompanied by a matching emoji, shows the 25-year-old Brazilian superstar stretched out on the pitch with his chin resting on his left hand.

French newspaper Le Parisien fuelled speculation Friday with an unsourced report that Neymar had told several Barcelona teammates of his intentions to join PSG, adding that the transfer is considered a done deal by some Barcelona players.

That echoes media company Esporte Interativo’s insistence that an agreement has been reached for Neymar to move to the French capital from Barcelona, where he has played since 2013.

Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde swatted down talks of Neymar departing.

“This is a time of rumors. We understand it’s how it is,” Valverde said. “He is with us right now. One of us. It’s a player we love and we want. Not only football-wise, but also for the things he brings to the locker room.

“It’s only rumours. There’s no need to worry about something we don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. If it happens in the future, we’ll see. But no need to worry about it now.”