PSG transfer news: Contract discussions with Neymar ‘on the right track’
Leonardo, the club's sporting director, confirms that Neymar is close to signing a new deal
Neymar has been the centrepiece of Paris Saint-Germain’s expansion project over the last four years and appears set to commit his future to the club.
In an interview with France Bleu Paris, PSG sporting director Leonardo explained that discussions had gone well with Neymar and that he was hopeful of a new contract being signed soon.
“We are on the right track. The contract is not yet signed. We arrive at a good time with him. The goal is to get to the end as quickly as possible. With Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat too,” said Leonardo.
“We talked less with [Julian] Draxler who has had fewer opportunities to play in recent years. He is a player who is still important for the club.”
Securing the futures of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the two stars of the PSG team, are Leonardo’s major focus over the coming months.
Their signings were a statement of intent by a club looking to turn domestic dominance into something more wide-reaching.
Since the 2011 takeover by Qatar Sports Investment transformed their fortunes, PSG have been the pre-eminent force in French football, winning seven of the last eight Ligue Un titles.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Progress in the Champions League has been slower, with several early exits and a notorious collapse to Barcelona in the round of 16 four years ago.
PSG will be hoping to avoid a repeat this season, having taken a commanding 4-1 lead in the first leg at the Nou Camp last week.
Kylian Mbappe was the star man that day, but Neymar remains a key component of PSG’s attempts to establish themselves amongst European football’s elite.
Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona, and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez remains a keen admirer of his ability, but Leonardo is confident that his fellow Brazilian will remain in the French capital.
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.
‘Ruben Amorim could have waited for Real Madrid and had a better chance to be successful – to have joined Manchester United, he must be convinced in his own ability’ Former Old Trafford coach’s verdict on new boss
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby