Neymar leaves door ajar to Real Madrid move

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar fulfilled his dream at Barcelona but retains "great respect" for their LaLiga rivals Real Madrid.

Published : Mar 04, 2019 08:00 IST

Neymar in action for Paris Saint-Germain
Neymar in action for Paris Saint-Germain
lightbox-info

Neymar in action for Paris Saint-Germain

Neymar admitted playing for Real Madrid is an attractive prospect but insists he is in no rush to leave French champion Paris Saint-Germain.

Brazil international Neymar became the most expensive player in history when he departed Barcelona in a €222million deal in August 2017.

The 27-year-old, who is undergoing rehabilitation on a metatarsal injury sustained in January, has not been short on success on France, winning all four domestic trophies in his first season.

 

But repeated assertions from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that Neymar is not for sale have never entirely quashed speculating linking him with a marquee move to LaLiga giant Madrid, a club the superstar forward admires.

"Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world," Neymar told Brazilian broadcaster Globo. "Any player that Real Madrid wanted would be attracted to play there.

"I'm not saying I'm going to play for Madrid. I feel very happy here... [but] in the future nobody knows.

"Every knows I already realised my dream, to play for Barcelona. This was always my dream, something that I spoke about since I was little and I managed to accomplish. I'm fulfilled.

"Nowadays I'm very happy [at PSG]. If I speak of today, I only have eyes for Paris. I'm not attracted to anyone else, I don't want to leave Paris, but things happen very fast.

"Three months from now, no one knows what can happen. If the president comes to talk to you, sometimes the player has no way out. As much as he wants to stay in the club, he has to leave.

"I'm not talking about my case, obviously. I'm giving examples, in which the player's life is very fast, very unexpected, things happen in seconds.

"But it's obvious that Real Madrid is a great team, one of the biggest in the world. I have a very great respect [for the club]. But I see myself in Paris today."

Neymar spent four seasons in LaLiga with Barca, winning the title twice and the Champions League once.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment