Chelsea transfer news: The Blues will move for Neymar if Manchester City sanction key deal this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino is a big fan of Neymar as Chelsea transfer chance emerges. (Image: Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Barcelona have had their transfer dreams shattered in the space of just days after Lionel Messi ruled out a return to his former club. Following the announcement that he had played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine fielded offers from across the world.
It was widely expected that he would join Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Cristiano Ronaldo in helping to make the Saudi Pro League more popular after reports of a £970million contract emerged. However, the World Cup winner turned that down to instead commit himself to MLS project Inter Miami.
His former side have been left to rue their continuing financial issues as they miss out on yet another chance to have Messi at the club for longer. “I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami,” he said to papers in Spain.
“I still haven’t closed it 100%. I’m missing some things, but we decided to continue on the path. If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more in my family. I really wanted, I was very excited to be able to return [to Barcelona], but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again – waiting to see what was going to happen.
“I heard that they had to sell players or lower players’ salaries and the truth is that I didn’t want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that.”
Now it is his PSG teammate Neymar that is on the cards with Barcelona manager Xavi fielding questions over the Brazilian. “I’m surprised [there are rumours] he’s not in our plan,” the Spaniard said.
Neymar spent four incredibly successful years in Catalonia before making a world record move to Paris in 2017. He has since shone for the Ligue 1 giants, scoring 118 times in 173 matches. At 31 and with injury issues and uncertainty over what is to come at the Parc des Princes, Neymar has once more been linked with a move away.
“I really like Ney as a friend, but we have different priorities,” Xavi continued. With Barcelona out of the way it could open the door to Chelsea and ambitious owner Todd Boehly once more. Even without Champions League football, Boehly is keen to add a superstar name to his squad and was reportedly also dreaming of making Messi that man.
With him out of the way, Neymar is left in an uncertain position. There is history between the two parties, as well, with Boehly reportedly meeting with PSG chiefs earlier this year in order to discuss Neymar and the possibility of signing him. It is also believed that there is existing Premier League interest in the player from unnamed clubs.
His future may well depend on Manchester City’s own transfer decisions as a triangle of business emerges. It is said that PSG have their eyes on Bernardo Silva this summer and Barcelona are unable to match them having also been hopeful of securing the Portugal star.
Should the star midfielder move to Paris it could leave Neymar free to go as Silva is also capable of working from the right-wing as well. With PSG hoping to land Silva, the chance of Neymar leaving is more open than it would have been before.
The move also raises the chance of a reunion with Mauricio Pochettino. The new Chelsea manager worked with Neymar between 2021 and 2022, scoring 21 times and assisting 16 in 47 matches.
“It’s so easy with Neymar because you don’t need to do too much,” Pochettino explained of working with the world superstar. “From day one, he’s been very open to work. He’s very humble, he listens and always accepts all the instructions in a very good way.
“Brazilian players have something special inside. They love to play football because it’s like a dance. They play like they are dancing.
“Ronaldinho was my teammate when I was a PSG player and now Neymar. They need to feel good, to feel happy to perform in the best way.”
Soucre: football.london
