There have been suggestions in recent months that the PSG forward could join Manchester United as a “Galactico” signing if Sheikh Jassim is appointed manager.
Neymar, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, has stated that he intends to stay with the Ligue 1 club for the 2018 season.
What will happen to the Brazilian has been one of the summer’s major transfer window stories. There have been reports that the 31-year-old may depart Princes Park after six years. Manchester United was mentioned in passing earlier this year, should Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim be appointed as the club’s new manager. The Manchester Evening News understands that such a move would be exceedingly unlikely under the current government.
Unconfirmed speculations circulated in May that United had approached PSG about acquiring the Brazilian, but neither party has released any concrete updates since. During a press conference near the end of the season, United manager Erik ten Hag played down the conversation.
The question of whether Ten Hag was interested in Neymar the player was posed. “We’ll let you know when we have news,” he retorted.
As the Manchester United takeover saga persisted, rumors began to surface. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, a Qatari billionaire, is one of the process’s two front-runners. PSG is owned by Qatari Sports Investments.
Neymar scored 11 goals and assisted on 13 others in 20 league appearances for PSG the previous season. However, media conjecture suggested that he was disenchanted with the club after yet another disappointing Champions League campaign. When questioned by the media, the new PSG manager, Luis Enrique, refused to clarify Neymar’s situation.
Enrique stated: “I haven’t spoken with Neymar yet. Lionel Messi has already left PSG. If he ought to participate in my project? I would like to give you this kind of information, however it is internal information.
After a trip home, Neymar has however returned to social media. The forward’s attention seems to be entirely on going back to PSG and preparing for the upcoming campaign.