Neymar Confirms He Will Stay at PSG This Summer
By Tom Gott
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has put an end to Barcelona's already slim hopes of signing him this summer by admitting his desire to stay in Paris for at least one more season.
Barcelona worked tirelessly to try and re-sign Neymar last summer, only to find PSG were unwilling to negotiate. The plan had been to come back with a fresh offer this summer, but the coronavirus outbreak has left Barça unable to come anywhere close to the French side's asking price.
A return to Camp Nou for Neymar has looked unlikely for a good few months now, but the rumour has now officially been put to bed as the Brazil winger told the club's official magazine that he is going nowhere just yet.
"I'm staying at PSG next season!" he revealed. "And with the ambition to return to the Champions League final, this time to win it.
"I like this idea of doing everything to leave my name in the history books of my club."
Neymar was in fantastic form over this past season, ending with 19 goals and 12 assists from 27 appearances in all competitions. His goalscoring and creativity were both vital to PSG's run to their first Champions League final, where they ultimately fell to Bayern Munich.
It could have been so different for PSG, who impressed for large parts of the game and missed a number of guilt-edged chances to win the game and get their hands on the trophy, and it appears as though Neymar feels he has unfinished business.
? This Neymar effort in one word?@PSG_English | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/HpYYLVePDF
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 23, 2020
With two years left on his contract, all this announcement will do is postpone talks of an imminent exit from PSG for Neymar.
If he continues to delay contract talks, he will have just one year remaining at the end of the 2020/21 season, at which point suitors like Barcelona or Real Madrid will begin to swirl.