Reports from France indicate that Neymar has expressed his desire to depart from Paris St Germain (PSG). Although the club has not made any official statements regarding this matter, sources confirm that the Brazilian superstar, under contract until 2025, has not yet formally conveyed his intention to leave to the club's management.
The situation remains uncertain in terms of whether the newly appointed PSG coach, Luis Enrique, envisions Neymar as a part of his future plans. This development coincides with PSG facing the likelihood of either selling French striker Kylian Mbappe this summer or facing his departure as a free agent next year when his contract expires.
Earlier this summer, Lionel Messi left PSG to join Inter Miami, and if both Neymar and Mbappe also decide to leave, it will undoubtedly signal the conclusion of a significant era for the club.
In recent times, PSG has sought to shift away from what their president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, referred to as their previous "bling bling" image. They are now emphasizing the development of players from within their ranks instead of solely relying on high-profile acquisitions.
Neymar epitomized the former approach, as PSG made history by breaking the world transfer record to secure his signing from Barcelona in 2017 for a staggering 222 million euros (£200m at that time). Since joining PSG, Neymar has clinched France's Ligue 1 title five times; however, he has not added to his single Champions League victory achieved with Barcelona in 2015.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe finds himself excluded from PSG's primary training group as the deadlock over his contract continues. It is widely believed that Mbappe has already agreed to officially join Real Madrid when his contract concludes, allowing him to benefit from a 160 million euro signing-on fee as a free agent.
PSG reportedly proposed a new contract to Mbappe that includes a clause enabling his departure next summer for a fee. However, his representatives have allegedly rejected this, along with other offers from the club.
Recently, Al Hilal was granted permission by PSG to engage with Mbappe after presenting a world record £259 million offer last month. Yet, reports indicate that Mbappe and his representatives declined a meeting with a delegation from the Saudi club during their visit to Paris.
In the backdrop, clubs like Chelsea and Barcelona are also reportedly exploring player-plus-cash deals to secure the services of Mbappe, who claimed victory in the 2018 World Cup with France and made a significant impact in the previous year's tournament held in Qatar.
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