Neymar to travel with Paris-Saint Germain squad to China despite speculations over his future with French club
Neymar will travel on an upcoming tour of China with Paris-Saint Germain, the club said on Tuesday, as the troubled Brazilian superstar's future remains up in the air amid mounting signs he is unhappy at the French champions.
-
Neymar, who has been repeatedly linked to a move to Barcelona, failed to show up to PSG's pre-season training on 8 July.
-
Neymar, who joined PSG in 2017 for 222 million euros ($264 million at the time), rejoined the team a week later on 15 July.
-
He also didn't help the strained relationship by controversially saying that his best football memory was beating PSG when he played for Barcelona.
Paris: Neymar will travel on an upcoming tour of China with Paris-Saint Germain, the club said on Tuesday, as the troubled Brazilian superstar's future remains up in the air amid mounting signs he is unhappy at the French champions.
File image of Neymar. AP
The 27-year-old, who has been repeatedly linked to a move to Barcelona, failed to show up to PSG's pre-season training on 8 July, with his camp maintaining he had a prior agreement to stay away.
The club threatened to take "appropriate action" against the world's most expensive player, who said he had stayed in Brazil to attend a charity five-a-side football tournament run by his foundation.
Neymar, who joined PSG in 2017 for 222 million euros ($264 million at the time), rejoined the team a week later on 15 July.
He also didn't help the strained relationship by controversially saying that his best football memory was beating PSG when he played for Barcelona.
Just days before rejoining PSG, he cited as his favourite football memory his role in the 2017 Barcelona team that overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit by winning 6-1 in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.
He also recently posted a 10-second video of himself in a Barcelona shirt and a quote from the Bible: "No weapon turned against you will prosper."
It has been a troubled summer for Neymar.
He missed Brazil's triumphant Copa America campaign on home soil due to an ankle injury and was also questioned by Brazilian police over allegations he raped a woman – accusations he denies.
PSG referenced the ankle injury in its statement naming the squad on Tuesday, saying that "daily physical work will continue and complete recovery and integration with the group is scheduled for training in China".
It added that x-rays of the fracture showed "completely normal progress and a very good improvement".
PSG land in Shenzhen, China on Wednesday, and will play friendlies against Inter Milan in Macau on Saturday and Sydney FC in Suzhou on July 30.
Their first competitive match of the season will be against Rennes in Shenzhen on August 3 in the Champions Trophy, the traditional curtain-raiser to the French campaign.
PSG also announced on Tuesday that 16-year-old Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons would join the club from Barcelona.
also read
Neymar will 'come back stronger' from right ankle surgery, out for three-four months
PSG confirmed Neymar would have surgery in Doha "in the next few days" and said it would take "three to four months before he can return to training with the team".
Champions League: Record-breaking Kylian Mbappe determined to carry PSG past Bayern
PSG trail 1-0 from the first leg of the heavyweight last-16 tie, after injury reduced Mbappe to a cameo appearance off the bench in that match last month.
Kylian Mbappe scores last-minute winner in Ligue 1 as PSG bounce back from European exit
PSG have been left with just the Ligue 1 title to play for in the remaining months of the season after they were knocked out of the Champions League.