PSG denies rumours of Neymar departure

Neymar’s father and Paris Saint-Germain sought on Tuesday to quell rumours that the very expensive star forward wants to leave the club when he recovers from foot surgery.

Neymar at a hospital in Brazil where he underwent surgery on a fractured metatarsal and a sprained ankle. Reuters

With Neymar in Brazil recovering from surgery on a broken ankle, reports have surfaced in European press that the Brazilian is disenchanted with PSG and is setting his sights elsewhere.

There is much speculation that Neymar, who PSG acquired from Barcelona for a record €222 million last year, is being eyed up for an even more costly transfer to his old club of Barcelona or even to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

The concern over the player and is future is such that PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi led a delegation to visit the 26-year-old at his luxury home on the Brazilian coast on Monday and Tuesday.

“He’s very excited to come back as soon as possible,” al-Khelaifi told reporters. “I’m sure he will come back very soon and you know very excited to have him back in the league, in the Cup matches with Paris Saint-Germain.”

Even Neymar’s father chimed in on his son’s place at PSG.

“Neymar already has a future at PSG,” said Neymar Santos Sr. after visiting his son where he is recovering from a fractured ankle in Brazil.

Without their star forward, PSG crashed out of the Champions League last 16 to Real Madrid this month.

The club will look to maintain its comfortable lead at the top of the table in France’s Ligue 1 against Angers on Wednesday.

The club hope to have Neymar back before the end of the season, even if the doctor of Brazil’s national team will need at least two and a half months before returning to action.