PSG’s $261M Star To Sign New Deal Instead Of Joining Messi At Barcelona: Report

Neymar, who has been heavily linked with a move back to FC Barcelona, is reportedly in talks with his current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) over extending his contract.

Neymar, whose current deal with PSG is due to expire in 2022, is expected to sign a new five-year deal with the Ligue 1 side, unnamed sources told ESPN. The Brazilian playmaker has asked PSG sporting director Leonardo for assurances about the club's plans on the field and both the parties are optimistic about reaching a new agreement soon.

Ahead of the summer of 2020, it was reported that Neymar desperately wanted to reunite with Lionel Messi and Co. at Camp Nou and had even agreed to accept a pay cut for the same. It was believed that Messi’s fiasco in Barcelona this summer has changed a lot of equations, including Neymar’s mind about leaving PSG.

The ESPN report has also revealed that Neymar has assured PSG chief Leonardo that he sees his future at PSG, where he earns $37 million gross per year. The PSG sporting director recently confirmed that the club was in talks with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria, Juan Bernat, and Julian Draxler. While PSG are in advanced talks with Neymar, Mbappe’s future remains uncertain, as per ESPN.

Mbappe, whose current contract with PSG is also set to end in 2022, has been linked with the current England and Spain champions – Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The World Cup-winning forward, Mbappe, earns $20 million annually plus performance bonuses at PSG. The 21-year-old is expected to become the most expensive signing next summer, and considering Real Madrid’s superior financial situation, the La Liga giants could beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in acquiring the signatures of Mbappe. It was earlier reported that the French striker is expected to demand at least $640,000-a-week, which would not fit in Liverpool’s current wage structure.

Former French center-back Adil Rami said in an interview that he was convinced about Mbappe moving to Real Madrid ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Mbappe, who first moved to PSG on loan before signing on a permanent basis, has netted 97 goals in 132 competitive appearances for PSG since his debut in 2017. PSG currently boast two of the most expensive players in European soccer – Neymar, who joined the French side from FC Barcelona at a record fee of $261 million in the summer of 2017 and Mbappe from Monaco, whom PSG signed the following summer at $211 million.