Paris Saint-Germain continue to court Neymar from afar as Barcelona deny reports a deal is in the making
Denials from Barcelona are doing little to halt the fervor that Brazil star Neymar could be joining Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer that would more than double the world record.
Neymar warmed up for the new season by scoring twice for Barcelona against Juventus in a friendly Saturday, but left the stadium in New Jersey without saying anything to reporters, allowing speculation he will imminently join PSG for €220 million (Dh942m) to persist.
“We want Neymar to be with us,” Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said after the 2-1 victory over Juventus. “We know the importance he has in our game, our dressing room, the team dynamic, and we want him with us. It’s clear.”
Barcelona’s league campaign begins on August 20, while PSG’s season opener is in less than two weeks on August 5. Reports in Spain and France state that the transfer could be completed by the end of July.
“Un Pari Magique” (A Magic Gamble) read the front page headline on sports daily L’Equipe, accompanied by a photo of Neymar with his hand on his forehead like a ship’s captain, gazing into the horizon as if longingly eyeing a future destination. The headline is a play on words with the favorite chant among PSG fans of “Paris est Magique” (Paris is Magic).
But not magical enough to win the Uefa Champions League yet, or even advance past the quarter-finals in the past four seasons, and to challenge for European football’s top prize. Manager Unai Emery told L’Equipe earlier this week: “PSG must have one of the topfive players in the world. We are looking to sign one this summer.”
The Qatari-owned club’s courting of Neymar dates back to April last year, but two months later, the Brazilian reached an agreement to extend his Barcelona contract until 2021.