Neymar among five PSG players ruthlessly ‘encouraged’ to leave this summer

09 August 2023 , 16:45

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Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar (Image: Chung Sung-Jun/Paris Saint-Germain Football/PSG via Getty Images)

Neymar is one of five Paris Saint-Germain stars who have been told they can leave the club this summer by new boss Luis Enrique and transfer chief Luis Campos.

PSG are in the midst of a revamp, with Lionel Messi leaving to join MLS side Inter Miami on a free transfer and Kylian Mbappe now frozen out as the French giants hope to cash in on him this summer instead of losing him for free to Real Madrid in a year's time.

And Neymar is another big name superstar whose time at PSG looks set to be over. According to French outlet RMC Sport, Neymar, Marco Verratti, Renato Sanches, Hugo Ekitike and Juan Bernat have all been informed they are not part of Enrique's plans for the future.

The report states that Enrique and Campos met with all five players and let them know they could leave. Neymar has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and a return to Barcelona, who he left to join PSG in 2017.

Barcelona boss Xavi, who was team-mates with Neymar for two seasons, was recently quizzed about a potential move for the Brazil international. "We have to strengthen ourselves well," Xavi said.

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"The sports area and the president know this reality. I'm happy with how our players are training and our pre-season. I cannot say anything more about Neymar. Last year I had mentioned a name of a player from another team and that club got angry. From here until the end of the market, we will see."

Verratti, meanwhile, has been heavily linked with Saudi club Al Hilal who have already spent big to sign the likes of Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly this summer.

Marco Verratti could leave PSG this summer (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho's Roma are interested in Sanches, with the Serie A side said to be in talks with PSG over a loan deal with an option to buy. Left-back Bernat has been linked with a return to his native Spain, with the arrival of Lucas Hernandez from Bayern Munich seeing him fall down the pecking order.

Forward Ekitike, who came close to joining Newcastle before making the move to PSG last summer on an initial loan deal, is said to be a target for several Premier League clubs.

Everton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have all been linked with the 21-year-old, who scored four goals in 32 games for PSG last season. Borussia Dortmund are also interested in Ekitike to provide some competition for Sebastian Haller.

Matthew Cooper