Chelsea report: Blues on red alert as Neymar takes step closer to PSG exit

Chelsea are on red alert after reports emerged that Neymar is edging closer to a Paris Saint-Germain exit.

The Brazil international moved to the Parc des Princes for a world-record fee of £198m in 2017, in what was one of the most stunning transfers of all time.

Neymar has scored 100 goals in 144 appearances for PSG in all competitions, winning four Ligue 1 titles and five domestic cups.

But the club’s failure to win the Champions League in the last five years means the transfer cannot be considered a success given the huge outlay involved.

And PSG are now ready to move the 30-year-old on this summer, with Chelsea among the teams interested.

Recent comments from the PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi appear to have pushed Neymar closer to the exit door.

“A possible departure of Neymar this summer? What I can tell you is that we expect all the players to do much more than last season,” he told Le Parisien.

RMC Sport claims that PSG have indeed decided to sell Neymar ahead of next season, despite the fact that his contract will automatically be extended to 2027 on July 1.

The Brazilian had not originally planned to leave the Parc des Princes this summer, with Neymar preferring not to rock the boat on the eve of the 2022 World Cup.

But PSG are currently undergoing an internal restructuring and the forward does not feel sufficiently valued by key figures at the club.

Chelsea have been linked with a move for the former Barcelona star in recent weeks, and they may now be ready to step up their interest.

The Blues are keen to add at least one more forward to their ranks before the transfer window closes, with Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele among the other names they are considering.