Neymar drops transfer hint as truth behind Mbappe criticism revealed

Robin Bairner

• 21 Apr 2023 14:57 BST
• 5 min read

PSG attacker Neymar may be injured but the Brazil international forward continues to find himself in the headlines.

The 31-year-old has been absent for the Parisians since sustaining an ankle injury in a 4-3 victory over Lille, a problem that saw him undergo surgery and miss the second leg of the club’s Champions League last-16 defeat against Bayern.

This was just the latest physical setback for the world’s most expensive player, who has been luckless with injury since leaving Barcelona for PSG in 2017 for €222 million.

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Indeed, Neymar’s future at the Ligue 1 leaders is under threat and he has dropped a hint as to where he one day fancies a transfer.

He was spotted back in Brazil at the Copa Sudamericana encounter between Santos and Audax Italiano – a match that finished scoreless, despite the domination of the home team.

After the fixture, Neymar pledged his future to the team at which he made his professional debut.

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In a quick exchange with journalists after the game, he said: “One day, I’ll be back. I’ll be right back.”

He also dropped a message on social media suggesting he has a future at the Brazilian side, with an image of himself in a Santos T-shirt with the caption: “Forever a boy of the Vila.” This refers to Vila Belmiro, the Barrio in Santos where the club is based.

Truth behind Mbappe criticism

One of the reasons that Neymar has been the subject of criticism at PSG has been the perception that his lifestyle is not befitting that of a professional player.

To that end, it was thought that pointed comments made by Kylian Mbappe in February were directed towards him.

“Above all, all our players must be in good health. Everyone should eat well, sleep well and prepare as much as possible,” he said after the Champions League loss to Bayern Munich.

Le Parisien, however, reports that these comments were primarily directed towards Marco Verratti and not Neymar.