WITH Lionel Messi off to Inter Miami and Kylian Mbappé’s transfer saga at a standstill, Brazilian star Neymar may soon be the next big name to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
See Mbappé left out of PSG preseason tour in Japan as transfer saga continues
According to a report by French news outlet L’Equipe, Neymar has formally asked to leave the club after six years with the 11-time Ligue 1 champions.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was made aware of the 31-year-old forward’s decision on Sunday, the newspaper added.
Should Neymar's exit push through, both parties have less than a month to complete a move as the international summer transfer window will close on September 1.
Unconfirmed reports claim the Brazilian ace is particularly keen on a homecoming with his former club FC Barcelona.
It goes without saying, however, that a move back to the reigning Spanish La Liga champion side will require a monumental effort from all parties involved.
To this day, Neymar's 222 million-euro (about $250 million) move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 remains the most expensive player transfer in world football.
And time is on neither party's side as a Barça comeback bid may fail to materialize, with the European domestic leagues including La Liga set to kick off as early as this week.
From several reported standoffs with club management to recent fan protests outside his own home, the last six years in Paris became quite the whirlwind for Neymar.
But it isn't only the Brazilian who has been dealt with a tall order moving forward.
PSG's frontman Mbappé has long expressed his desire to leave his home club and join Spanish giants Real Madrid — a longtime dream of his.
After rejecting Madrid's $190 million bid in 2021, the World Cup winner has recently refused to sign a one-year contract extension to prompt a tense back-and-forth leading to the 24-year-old Frenchman's removal from the club's preseason activities.
Whether Mbappé's contract stalemate plays a decisive role in either enabling or blocking Neymar's prospective departure remains uncertain, but the next few weeks will significantly define the future for the French champions and two of the biggest stars in world football.
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