Share

Neymar transfer speculation 'normal', says PSG great

Shenzhen - Paris Saint-Germain great Youri Djorkaeff played down the transfer speculation swirling around Neymar as "normal" on Wednesday as the Brazilian trained alone on the club's China tour.

The bleach-blond player, linked with a return to his former club Barcelona, practised apart from his team-mates in Shenzhen, southern China, following a late return to club duties.

"When you are a big player, when you are a star, it's normal every day that clubs want to buy you," former France international Djorkaeff, now a PSG club ambassador, told reporters.

"This is normal. This is the life of big star. I don't think it's a problem for him, actually it's good because he's here, this is the most important."

Earlier this month, PSG's new sporting director Leonardo opened the door to Neymar's departure "if there is an offer that suits everyone".

Neymar joined PSG for a record €222 million in 2017 but his chances of returning to Barcelona cannot have been helped by the Catalan club's signing of France forward Antoine Griezmann.

It has been a troubled summer for Neymar, who missed Brazil's triumphant Copa America campaign on home soil after suffering an ankle injury in a warm-up friendly against Qatar.

In addition, he was questioned by Brazilian police last month over allegations he raped a woman he met through social media in a Paris hotel. He has denied the accusations.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 946 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 463 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE