Report: Neymar ready to leave PSG, prefers move to Premier League
Neymar no longer feels welcome at Paris Saint-Germain and believes he'd be better off playing elsewhere next season, sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens.
The Brazilian reportedly had a change of heart after being targeted by dozens of hardcore supporters at his house last week. The ultras demanded he and Lionel Messi leave the club in vulgar protests that PSG strongly condemned.
Neymar would prioritize a move to the Premier League if he were to leave the French capital, according to Laurens. Chelsea reportedly reopened talks with PSG over the 31-year-old forward, who initially attracted the attention of the Blues in the summer and has a big admirer in Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly. Boehly has also shown an appetite to spend big on players since taking over the club from Roman Abramovich last year.
With Neymar currently earning around €40 million per season, any prospective deal would require a significant financial outlay. He still has four years remaining on his contract with PSG, but Laurens reports that the Ligue 1 leaders won't stand in his way if he wants to end his time in Paris. PSG could even allow him to leave on loan, eschewing a hefty transfer fee just to get his wages - which rank among the highest in world football - off their books.
PSG paid Barcelona a world-record €222 million to sign Neymar in August 2017.
He has been out since undergoing ankle surgery in March and is unlikely to return to action before the end of the season.