Paris Saint-Germain have released a statement condemning their fans for protesting outside Neymar’s house – but they are ready to give in to their demands.
Supporters gathered outside the house of the Brazilian star on Thursday to demand that he leaves the club. Neymar has become a lightning rod for disillusioned fans, who are furious at the lack of progress on the pitch.
PSG remain top of Ligue 1 with a five-point lead over Marseille, but have largely endured a poor campaign, with defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the last-16 of the Champions League a major blow. The all-star frontline of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe has come to an end, with Messi suspended and set to depart in the summer transfer window.
A group of ultras want Neymar to follow suit, but their actions have been criticised by the club. “Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday,” a club statement read.
“Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions. The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour.”
But while they are publicly standing by Neymar, the club are ready to listen to offers in the summer. Neymar has been at PSG since joining in a £198million transfer from Barcelona in August 2017 and is under contract until June 2025, with the option of a further year.
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Mirror Football understands that PSG will implement a change in approach once the season has concluded. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi wants to take a strategy which prioritises signing young French players and developing home-grown talents in the academy.
That places Neymar’s future under the spotlight, with the 31-year-old increasingly hit by injuries and pulling in huge wages. PSG would consider selling him, should concrete interest arise. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly held a meeting earlier this year to ask about Neymar’s availability, but there are not many options due to the Brazilian’s wage demands.
One thing is clear: Neymar is unhappy with the current situation in the French capital.
On Thursday fans spotted that he had liked an Instagram post which was hugely critical of PSG. The post, translated from French, said: “The difference between being great and having greatness! PSG misses, and misses, misses and misses its fans! Having history is not optional, positioning yourself as great and having a great attitude is within reach! They are so small! I was clear!”
He also posted on his Instagram story. Translated from Portuguese, his message read: “Don't let people put you in their storm, put them in your peace.”
