Chelsea target Neymar may never play for PSG ever again

Stuart Telford

• 7 Mar 2023 02:24 CST
• 3 min read

Neymar will miss the rest of this season with injury, and Paris Saint-Germain remain willing to sell their Brazilian star next summer with Kylian Mbappe the bigger priority in their squad.

Neymar sprained his ankle ligaments as PSG beat Lille 4-3 last month, scoring his 18th goal of the season before making way for Hugo Ekitike inside the hour.

It is not the first time the Brazil forward has been sidelined with the same injury, and player and club have decided to pursue surgery.

READ: Neymar should have left Barcelona for Man City, not PSG, claims Suarez

Neymar out for the season

"Neymar Jr. has had several episodes of instability in his right ankle in recent years," PSG said in a club statement.

"Following his last sprain contracted on 20 February, the medical staff recommended a ligament repair operation to avoid a major risk of recurrence. All the experts consulted have confirmed this necessity.

"A delay of three to four months is expected before his return to training."

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) March 13, 2022

READ: Messi, Mbappe, Neymar: PSG hurtling towards nightmare scenario

That takes Neymar's absence into the middle of the summer transfer window, and PSG are willing to offload him at that point, having offered him to Chelsea and Juventus last summer.

Neymar and Mbappe have an antagonistic relationship, something that has grown worse since the latter U-turned on Real Madrid to sign a three-year contract extension last May.

The deal made Mbappe the highest paid player of all time before Cristiano Ronaldo's €200 million a year move to Al Nassr, and the far-reaching powers he was afforded are understood to have caused concern for Neymar and indeed Lionel Messi.

Mbappe continued to be linked with a move to Madrid, but with his contract running until 2025 and PSG's Qatari-backed owners not needing the money, there is little chance that is he who leaves this summer.

If PSG can find a buyer, Neymar may have played his last game for the club.