New Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has addressed Neymar’s future at the club after a reported fallout between the Brazilian and Kylian Mbappe.
Recent comments from PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi threw fresh doubt over Neymar’s future at the club, when the club supremo said: "Neymar part of the new project or not? We can't speak about this in public as some players will arrive, some players will leave the club. These are private negotiations."
Video footage subsequently emerged of a moment of tension between Neymar and Mbappe in PSG training earlier this year. The two players appear to entirely ignore each other during a routine exercise, prompting others to intervene and prevent the moment of awkwardness becoming further drawn out.
Mbappe opted to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions last month, with reports claiming that the striker would hold great sway in the club’s sporting decisions as part of the agreement to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
L’Equipe detailed the situation as they reported: “They (Neymar and Mbappe) no longer have much in common and the world champion (Mbappe) does not hesitate, in private, to make fun of his attacking partner. Mbappe would not find anything to complain about in the event of a Neymar exit during the next transfer window and his managers have been notified of this.”
That led to Mundo Deportivo underlining how Mbappe and Lionel Messi were conflicted over the future of Neymar, with the Argentine superstar having to stick up for his former Barca teammate despite Mbappe suggesting that the player should face greater consequences for his alleged lack of discipline.
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However, new PSG boss Galtier has laid down the law on Neymar’s future by ruling out a summer exit definitively: “I've always been clear that I want him to stay. There are many games until the start of the World Cup and there will be a need for us to rotate.
“In addition to our starting line-up, I want there to be five players with the same potential who can come in. There will be time for everyone to feature. I know where Neymar can be more comfortable, like Messi. They are players with a great ability to find themselves between the lines and be decisive.”
Galtier also was displeased about a lack of discipline in the squad being framed to him as a question specifically referencing Neymar, and highlighted that the rules would be applied throughout the club: “There will be rules that will be established and that the whole group will keep in mind. There will be things that are negotiable, and others that are not.” Neymar is under contract at Les Parisiens through to the summer of 2027 – when he will be 35 – and it appears that he will now be at the club for the long haul with no expectation of a move this year.
