'Neymar can leave PSG' - Leonardo open to offers after 'superficial' Barcelona discussions - 7M sport

'Neymar can leave PSG' - Leonardo open to offers after 'superficial' Barcelona discussions



Posted Tuesday, July 09, 2019 by Goal.com

'Neymar can leave PSG' - Leonardo open to offers after 'superficial' Barcelona discussions

The sporting director admitted the French giants are willing to negotiate a transfer but said no offers have come in for him

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has said Neymar is allowed to leave the club but says there have been no offers despite "superficial" talks with Barcelona.

Neymar's future at PSG has been in doubt this summer amid reports he wants to return to his former side Barcelona, while Real Madrid have also been linked.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu said last week that the Brazil international wants to leave the Ligue 1 champions , though he dismissed his side's chances of buying him because "PSG do not want him to go".

But Leonardo has now revealed that the French champions are willing to let him leave if a club matches their asking price.

"Neymar can leave PSG, if there is an offer that suits everyone," Leonardo told  Le Parisien .  "But to date, we do not know if anyone wants to buy him or at what price. All this is not done in a day, that's for sure.

"It's clear to everyone [that Neymar wants to leave], but in football, you say one thing today and tomorrow another. It's amazing but it's like that.

"We talked with his entourage too. Everyone knows everything. The position is clear for all participants. But one thing is concrete today: he still has three years of contract with us and since we have not received an offer, we cannot discuss anything."

He added: "PSG wants to rely on players who want to stay and build something big. We do not need players who would do a favour for the club by staying here."

Although Leonardo confirmed informal talks with Barcelona about a potential deal, he said no offer has been made for the 27-year-old.

"We have not received any offers. But we had, it's true, very superficial contacts [with Barcelona]. They said they wanted to buy but we were not sellers.

"[Bartomeu] is the one saying it, but we did not see that Barcelona was really in a buyer position."

Leonardo's comments come on the same day PSG announced that they will take action against the Brazilian attacker after he missed training on Monday, though his father says the club had already agreed to the delay.

Responding to Neymar Sr's claims, Leonardo said: "He wasn't here in training. He had to arrive and he did not arrive. But he knew he had to be there.

"We will study the measures we need to take, as we would do for all employees.

"He made commitments to his institute and a sponsor, but these were not dates agreed with the club. However, he played his last game on June 6. The holidays were until July 8th and he didn't come."

Asked when Neymar will report for training, Leonardo said: "I do not know. The only thing I know is that he was not there on the scheduled date, July 8th."



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