Mbappe appears to shove Neymar out of PSG team photo amid reports he still wants to leave

The Brazilian was unavailable as his side lifted the Trophee des Champions against Rennes, with rumours circling around his proposed move to Barcelona

Posted Sunday, August 04, 2019 by Goal.com

Kylian Mbappe appeared to push Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar out of a team photo after the club's Trophee des Champions victory over Rennes on Saturday.

Mbappe was on the scoresheet as PSG came from behind to beat Rennes in China and secure that particular title for the seventh season in a row.

The underdogs led at half-time following an early goal from Adrien Hunou, but World Cup winner Mbappe and Angel Di Maria scored in the second half to turn the game around.

Neymar was unavailable for selection due to a suspension carried over from last season, a punishment he received after he appeared to take a swipe at a fan who was accused of aiming abuse at several PSG players during the Coupe de France final.

PSG were beaten by Rennes in that game, but Neymar had to be pulled into the team celebrations by midfielder Marco Verratti after gaining revenge in the season’s annual curtain-raiser.

But as the team were posing with the trophy, the Brazilian was stood to the side of the group talking to a team-mate lying on the pitch and Mbappe then seemed to grab him by the arm and usher him away from the photo being taken.

Mbappe appears to shove Neymar out of PSG team photo amid reports he still wants to leave

Quite how serious Mbappe was being, only he will know, with the Frenchman having spoke only this week about how keen he is for Neymar to stay at the club.

But rumours linking the Brazilian with a sensational return to Barcelona aren’t going away, with a reporting Spanish newspaper SPORT claiming on Saturday that Neymar and PSG are now at 'total war'.

The third member of the club’s famed front three, Edinson Cavani, also made a plea for Neymar to remain in Paris , despite there having appeared to be issues between the two in the past.

If Neymar does return to Barcelona, it would represent a sensational display of power in the transfer market following the Liga champions’ huge move for Antoine Griezmann already this window.

For some, it would be an unnecessary one. Neymar is 27 and Griezmann 28, both coming towards the end of their peak years as forwards.

Earlier this week, a former Barcelona board member told Goal that he believes there are "many reasons" to avoid the signing, with the club’s finances already in less than perfect shape.