Neymar could be on his way out of Paris Saint-Germain this summer and Chelsea may potentially be a possible destination.
The 31-year-old wanted to leave the Ligue 1 outfit last summer but was unable to find a suitor in order to end his stay at the Parc des Princes, somewhere he has been since 2017 after joining from Barcelona for around £200 million.
He is currently contracted until 2027 at PSG but both parties are looking to separate and this summer will see the Brazilian’s future under the spotlight once again.
Chelsea were linked with Neymar last summer following the takeover of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership, but no transfer materialised as the arrival of Raheem Sterling was sealed.
Following the end of the January transfer window, plans for the summer have already begun and it was claimed by ESPN that Boehly met with PSG president Nasser al Khelaifi on Tuesday at a Paris hotel to discuss a potential transfer of Neymar. Hakim Ziyech’s failed deadline day loan move to PSG was also a topic of conversation.
Now Foot Mercato have reported that Boehly met directly with Neymar’s entourage in recent days to ‘different possibilities’ of the Brazil international joining Chelsea this summer.
With PSG and Neymar both wanting to end their relationship, it remains unclear how much the Parisian club will be able to demand for the 31-year-old considering the large financial sums likely to be needed to get him out of France.
Neymar has made 172 appearances for PSG in all competitions, scoring 117 goals and providing 76 assists during his five-and-a-half-year spell. This season, so far, he has netted 17 goals in 28 matches, with 16 assists to his name also.
Chelsea are set for another busy transfer window following the £600 million spend across the previous two markets in January and last summer.
Many departures are expected, including in the forward department, which could open the door for Neymar to move to Stamford Bridge should it be financially feasible.
But with the owners looking to reduce the average age of the squad, would a move for Neymar be ruled out, or could they be willing to compromise on Neymar due to his sheer quality? Only time will tell, but the noise over his future is now only going to go one way, and that’s louder.
