neymarjr (@neymarjr)
- 17 Dec 2024
PSG in no rush to extend Neymar’s contract, according to sporting director
Stefan Bienkowski
- Updated: 19 May 2021 14:39 BST
- 5 min read
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has suggested that the French club are in no rush to renew Neymar’s current deal.
The Brazilian forward has been an integral part of the Parisian team’s push for a Champions League and Ligue 1 double this season, with 14 goals and nine assists in just 23 games.
However, despite proving to be one of PSG’s most important players since joining the club in 2017 for a fee reported to have been around €222 million, Neymar is now on the cusp of entering the final year of his deal.
That means that if Neymar is unwilling to sign a contract extension, PSG may be forced to sell him this summer or risk losing him for free at the end of next season. However, Leonardo doesn’t seem too worried about that possibility.
“Neymar’s extension? We are in no hurry,” Leonardo explained to Canal+ on Saturday when asked about the player’s situation.
“Nobody is running behind us, we are really quiet, we have very good and frank reports.”
Does Neymar still want to leave PSG for Barcelona?
While Leonardo may be playing it cool for the time being, there is still the distinct possibility that Neymar may wish to return to Barcelona in the near future.
The Brazil international has spoken in the past about wanting to play alongside Lionel Messi again and former agents of the player have claimed that the Catalan giants did come close to bringing Neymar back to Spain.
However, it seems as though the forward is now far more settled in the French capital and has suggested himself that a contract extension is all but sorted. He just needs to sign on the dotted line.
READ MORE: How Barcelona refused to spend just €20m more to re-sign Neymar from PSG
Speaking recently on the topic after his team’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich, Neymar said: “The contract extension with PSG is no longer a topic.
“It is obvious that I feel very much at ease and very at home here at Paris Saint-Germain. I feel happier than I was before.”
