Ranking the six clubs that could sign Neymar

Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
4 min read

Neymar finds himself in the football transfer news spotlight once again following comments made by PSG head coach Christophe Galtier on Saturday.

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Speaking after a 3-0 friendly win over Urawa Reds, Galtier admitted that he does not know if the Brazil international will be at the club next season.

FootballTransfers understands the relationship between the player and the coach is good, and the reason that there could be a sale is to offload his €30 million-per-year wages.

Naturally, there are very few clubs that could afford such a move. Indeed, only Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Newcastle have been discussed as holding an interest in Neymar, while perhaps only Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid could otherwise afford him.

If Neymar moves this summer – and it is a very big if – then where is he likeliest to go?

© ProShots - PSG's front three: Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar

Ranking the contenders to sign Neymar

6. Newcastle

Newcastle may be billed as the richest club in the world, but their transfer policy has been relatively conservative so far and there are no signs they are about to splash out on a marquee player. There’s nothing about the St James’ Park side that suggests Neymar could complete a shock summer transfer.

5. Real Madrid

Having missed out on Kylian Mbappe, could Real Madrid go back in for Neymar? Probably not. They have been linked with the Brazil international in the past, but Los Blancos aren’t in the market for a player of his profile. Nevertheless, they are more attractive than Newcastle due to their history and Champions League football than the Premier League side.

4. Manchester City

City undoubtedly have the money to sign Neymar and they also have Pep Guardiola, who admired but never coached him during the South American’s stint at Barcelona. Any deal could be complicated by the strained relations between Qatar and the UAE, the owners of the respective clubs, while the Etihad side are also stacked offensively.

© ProShots - Could Pep Guardiola be tempted into a move?

3. Bayern Munich

So Neymar doesn’t fit the type of profile that Bayern typically look for in a player, but he could help fill the void that is set to be left by Robert Lewandowski. Although Bayern publicly rejected the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, they thought about it as an option. If not Ronaldo, why not Neymar?

2. Manchester United

Could Neymar be the superstar replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford? Sure, he plays in a slightly different role but certainly holds the type of marketing appeal that the Red Devils love. Moreover, his joyous style of play is in keeping with the Man Utd tradition, although his lack of defensive ethic is against what Erik ten Hag wants. This is a slightly more plausible deal than the rest, but a lot would need to happen for it to become possible.

1. Chelsea

FootballTransfers has confirmed that Chelsea were ‘intrigued’ by the prospect of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, so capturing a world star like Neymar would doubtless be of interest. Thomas Tuchel vetoed the Ronaldo deal but he has worked before with the Brazilian at PSG, and he appears to fit the type of mould that Chelsea are looking for this summer.

Chelsea look the likeliest transfer option for Neymar in the near future, but given the player is apparently content at PSG and has committed his future to the club, the prospects of a deal taking place remain small for the moment.