Recent media reports claim that Neymar could join Paris Saint-Germain this summer as the French giants are prepared to pay his release clause worth a whooping 195 million pounds, but Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insists that the Brazilian star will remain at Camp Nou. Neymar signed a new contract with Barcelona in October 2017, extending his stay at the club until 2021. The new deal includes a release clause that is set to rise at the end of each season.
Neymar, aged 25, joined Barcelona from Brazilian club Santos in 2013 and scored 13 league goals last season as the Blaugrana missed out on the LaLiga title. Neymar has won two LaLiga titles, a Champions League and three Copa del Rey trophies with Barcelona. He has already scored 52 goals in 77 appearances for the Brazilian national team and has won numerous individual awards in Brazil, in Spain and also at an international level. However, last season he scored just 20 goals for Barcelona in all competitions, significantly less than in the two previous seasons.
Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has also gone public to dismiss the transfer rumours: "I'm 200 per cent sure that he is going to stay. I've read information in the French press that PSG themselves have categorically denied it, a club with whom we are maintaining absolutely normal relations. Nothing has changed in that aspect." The rumours revealed that the reason Neymar would want to leave Barcelona is that he no longer wants to be in the shadow of superstar Lionel Messi, but that is just an unconfirmed assumption so far.
Barcelona are 10/11 at Bet365 to win the LaLiga title next season.
08/02/17, 11:08:06 PM
