06 May 2023 , 09:24
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Neymar moving to the Premier League would be similar to Cristiano Ronaldo returning, according to Glen Johnson - but the Brazil star has previously detailed his reservations over a switch.
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has been linked with a summer exit, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi thought to be prioritising younger talents going forward. The Brazil international remains the most expensive player in the history of the game, thanks to his move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017, and his current deal at the Parc des Princes runs until 2025.
Chelsea are among the teams linked with a move for the superstar, while Manchester United has also been mentioned as a potential destination. His next move remains uncertain, though, given what he already has said about English football.
"I do not get to watch a lot of the Premier League, but I have heard that there's a lot of physical contact involved in the game..." Neymar told MailOnline in 2021. "But the French league also has too much physical contact!"
Neymar has missed a number of games through injury since moving to Paris, including multiple ankle and metatarsal injuries. He is currently sidelined by an ankle injury sustained in a win against Lille in February, when he went down in a challenge with Benjamin Andre.
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"I want to win the Champions League with PSG - and the World Cup with Brazil national team," the former Santos star added. Ultimately, he has failed to achieve either goal, with his World Cup dream ending with a penalty shoot-out defeat against Croatia in 2022.
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Neymar has been out injured since February (AP)
Portugal international Ronaldo is among the recent superstar arrivals in the Premier League, rejoining Manchester United in 2021 but leaving again before his two-year contract was up. Johnson, who played against Ronaldo during his own spell in the top tier, has drawn comparisons between the Al-Nassr star and Neymar amid all the noise surrounding the South American.
“We want to see the best players in the world in the Premier League," former Chelsea and Liverpool defender Johnson told GGRecon. "I’d love to see [Neymar] here playing week in, week out, but I don’t believe it’s something that’s actually going to happen.
"It would be similar to any club signing Cristiano Ronaldo, as any club that signs him will sell out their shirts the next day. He’s got such a commercial pull, so from that perspective, you can understand why clubs would want to do it.
"It would be more of a superstar signing than a signing you need to actually improve your team because at his age you don’t know if he’s still going to be as good as he was. In terms of Neymar as an icon, then every team would like to sign them.”