Neymar's interest in a move to the Premier League is gaining momentum, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool among the teams alerted about his potential availability.

The 31-year-old star had reportedly come up in a recent conversation between Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and with a deal not being ruled out, Neymar's team have contacted more of England's top sides.

Neymar is tied for the Ligue 1 assist lead with 10, while he has 12 goals in 19 appearances.

Now in his sixth season in France since arriving for a world-record €222million fee, and on the brink of another disappointing Champions League exit, Brazil's joint all-time leading scorer is eyeing a new challenge.

 

TOP STORY – NEYMAR'S TEAM GAUGES THE INTEREST OF TOP PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS

According to 90min, Neymar's "intermediaries are believed to have spoken with Chelsea, Liverpool, City, United, and Newcastle United" – informing the clubs of his desire for a Premier League transfer.

The report claims Paris Saint-Germain are not desperate to part ways with Neymar, but would be open to facilitating a deal.

Chelsea owner Boehly is believed to be "intrigued" about the potential for such a high-profile signing, although it remains to be seen who else would be willing to meet what is expected to be an enormous contract demand.

 

ROUND-UP

– ESPN is reporting Liverpool, City and United are closely monitoring Mason Mount, who only has one more season on his current Chelsea contract, and is hesitant about signing the kind of long-term deals Chelsea have been handing out.

Newcastle, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and City all want 22-year-old Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but the Serie A leaders have no interest in selling, and are in the process of rewarding the Georgian with a big new contract, per 90min.

– According to Tuttosport, Real Madrid, Barcelona, City and Chelsea are keeping an eye on 17-year-old Velez prospect Gianluca Prestianni, who is the third-youngest debutant in the history of Argentina's top flight behind Diego Maradona and Sergio Aguero.

– Calciomercato is reporting Bayern Munich will continue their pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane, but are unwilling to meet their £100m (€112m) valuation. 

Arsenal have sent scouts to watch 17-year-old Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, who is reportedly valued at over £50m, per CaughtOffside.

Neymar is contracted with Paris Saint-Germain until 2025 but the French champions have reportedly transfer listed him.

The Brazilian forward is on a hefty wage, believed to be around €36 million per year.

Neymar has netted 12 goals in 19 Ligue 1 games this season, adding another five goals in nine appearances in other competitions.


TOP STORY – MEETING HELD AS CHELSEA'S NEYMAR INTEREST DEVELOPS

Le Parisien reports Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has met with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi about a transfer for Neymar.

The report claims the meeting was held in Paris, discussing the conditions around a potential transfer in the next transfer window.

It is claimed that a fee of around €60 million (£53m) has been discussed, although Neymar's significant wages may be a stumbling block to overcome.

 

ROUND-UP

– Inter defender Denzel Dumfries is set to be the subject of off-season bids from both Arsenal and Manchester United, claims Fichajes. The Premier League duo both see an opportunity to sign the Dutchman below market value.

– Fabrizio Romano reports Barcelona have agreed to sign Mexican right-back Julian Araujo from MLS club LA Galaxy. The deal is worth €4 million, with a contract to be signed up until 2026.

– Sport Bild claims Bayern Munich are monitoring the status of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, with consideration being put to a bid prior to the next transfer window. Arsenal are also keep tabs on Rashford's situation, according to Football Insider.

– Bild also reports Bayern are still keen on Tottenham forward Harry Kane but will not be drawn into a bidding war for his services, with Manchester United in the hunt too.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants the club to sign Real Sociedad's 24-year-old midfielder Martin Zubimendi, reports Sport.

Liverpool have held preliminary talks for Torino defender Perr Schuurs, claims Tuttosport.

Joao Felix has had a mixed start to his loan spell at Chelsea, but the Premier League club are eager to make his stay permanent.

The 23-year-old Portugal forward joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in January, getting sent off on debut before scoring on his Premier League return against West Ham on Saturday.

Felix signed for Atletico from Benfica in 2019 on a seven-year contract for a transfer fee of €126 million and extended his deal until 2027 prior to the move to Stamford Bridge.


TOP STORY – CHELSEA WANT PERMANENT JOAO FELIX STAY

Chelsea want to make Joao Felix's stay at Stamford Bridge permanent, according to Relevo.

The Portuguese is on loan with the Blues for the rest of the season from Atletico Madrid, with Chelsea willing to pay €100 million (£88.3m) for his services.

The Spaniards were originally asking for more, believed to be around €130m-140m (£115m-£124m) but may be willing to accept a reduced fee.

Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic could be heading in the opposition direction with Atletico considering a cut-price bid for Chelsea's United States international, according to Fichajes.

 

ROUND-UP

- Real Madrid are monitoring Tottenham forward Richarlison and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, reports ESPN. Los Blancos are looking for long-term replacements for 35-year-old Karim Benzema.

- Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain is uncertain with the French champions to place him on their transfer list in the upcoming off-season, claims Foot Mercato. PSG paid a staggering €222m for Neymar in 2017 but are set to move on.

- Chelsea's pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could lead them to sell Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to raise funds for the deal, claims Football Insider.

- Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka for a free transfer at the end of this season, claims German journalist Christopher Michel.

- Bayern Munich want to sign Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo for a reduced fee, rather than trigger the €70 million buy option, reports 90min. The report claims a fee around €60m is more realistic.

Neymar has hinted he may yet play at the 2026 World Cup, revealing that the "very big dream" still burns to lift the trophy.

The 31-year-old Brazilian said in the lead-up to last year's World Cup that it could be his last, while he was left devastated by his country's quarter-final elimination to Croatia.

In the immediate aftermath of Brazil's World Cup exit, Neymar offered no guarantees about his international future having been left "psychologically destroyed".

Two months on, Neymar appears to have digested that disappointment and said the door was not closed on his Brazil career extending to the 2026 event.

"I'll go year by year and we'll see," Neymar told TNT Sports. "Of course, I have a very big dream, that of winning the World Cup."

Neymar added that he was inspired by Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Lionel Messi's success with Argentina in Qatar.

"Leo has always been an inspiration," he said. "He always helped and encouraged me. Obviously, seeing him win at 34 [sic, 35], I think about it too."

Neymar will be 34 years old when the 2026 World Cup starts in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The forward was part of Brazil's 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup squads, winning the Bronze Boot and being named in the All Star XI when the event was played in his homeland in 2014.

Neymar is concerned by leaks from the Paris Saint-Germain dressing room and says they must "walk together" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Leaders PSG suffered a 3-1 defeat to Monaco on Saturday after being dumped out of the Coupe de France by Marseille, increasing the pressure on head coach Christophe Galtier.

Neymar was reportedly involved in a heated exchanged with the Ligue 1 champions' sporting advisor Luis Campos and clashed with team-mates following the loss to Monaco, leading to talk the club are looking to sell the Brazil forward.

The former Barcelona man did not deny there were heated exchanges at the weekend, but believes such disagreements should not come to light. 

He said on the eve of the first leg of the round of 16 tie against Bayern: "It happened, a little discussion, we didn't agree. It happens to us every day, but I love them all, it's like with my girlfriend.

"Football is not just about love, not just friendship. There is respect but it helps to have discussions. We are not used to losing. When there are defeats, of course that disturbs us. It makes it part of the process to improve.

"For the locker room, sometimes lies comes out in the press and it goes around the world. It happened that rumours came out at key moments of the season.

"We have to find out what's going on. It's not normal for stories to come out in the press, it has to stay between us. We have to walk together. When there's news like that, we're angry. I guarantee you a lot of information is wrong, some is true."

Galtier is pleased that his players are prepared to say what they think but stressed they must listen to him.

He said: "When there is frustration, it has to come out. I have been leading this way for years. You have to listen to them, but they also have to listen to me.

"There is frustration that breeds anger. We talked, I listened to them, I hope they listened to me too."

Neymar is at a loss to explain why PSG have slipped up as they prepare to do battle with the Bundesliga leaders at Parc des Princes.

He added: "I don't have any explanations. I think that every club has moments of difficulty.

"As a team, we have to be united, focused. It's good that these difficulties are happening now. We are aware that there are flaws, but we want to improve and show the best version of PSG."

The 31-year-old is also prepared to take criticism of his performances on the chin.

"I feel very good, physically and mentally," he said. "Some games things are not going very well. There are also games where you want to do everything, but you can't.

"The criticisms are legitimate. Everyone has their opinion, their point of view. I respect that. I'm doing my best for the club and for the team. I will do it until the end of the season."

Christophe Galtier will make a late call on whether to use Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich.

The France forward returned to training ahead of schedule on Monday and has been included in PSG's 22-man squad for Tuesday's match at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe had been ruled out of the match after sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

While he came through his first training session back unscathed, Galtier will not risk the 24-year-old unless he feels ready to play a part.

"He's done everything possible to make himself available for this match," Galtier said during a press conference on the eve of the game. "He's trained the day before the match and felt good.

"We'll see tomorrow morning how he feels. The first person I'll listen to will be Kylian, then I'll make the wisest decision. He won't be on the bench to make up the numbers."

Mbappe trained alongside fellow superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar, who are both expected to start against Bundesliga leaders Bayern.

"I'm surprised to see him back, yes. But we know Kylian's ability to recover faster than some," Galtier added.

"He trained as part of the team and was there for the whole session. His post-training feedback is very positive. But whether he'll be on the team sheet, I don't know."

Since making his PSG debut in 2017, Mbappe has recorded 57 goal contributions (34 goals and 23 assists) in 50 Champions League appearances.

During that timeframe, no other player has managed 20 goals and 20 assists in the competition.

Neymar, who was sat alongside Galtier at Monday's press conference, is hoping his team-mate will be able to join him and Messi in the frontline.

"He's an extremely important player, a great player," Neymar said. "When the three of us are together, we feel very strong. He told me he felt good. These are good signs."

PSG have struggled in Mbappe's short absence, having exited the Coupe de France against Marseille last week before losing 3-1 at Monaco in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Galtier is already under pressure just seven months after taking over, with the Champions League now taking on even more importance for the former Lille and Nice boss.

With the stakes so high in the blockbuster tie played over two legs between the reigning champions of France and Germany, Galtier is confident his players will step up.

"There is always pressure when you are a PSG coach, even more so in the Champions League," he said. "I don't think about my future at all. I am determined.

"The team I field tomorrow will look different to the one against Monaco. In these major games, I know my players know how to raise their level of play and their standards."

PSG have defeated Bayern in six of their previous 11 meetings, each of those coming in the Champions League, with the Bavarian giants prevailing five times.

"It's 50-50," Galtier said when asked who are the favourites to advance. "It's the Champions League. My players are used to these big meetings.

"No side will go through at the end of the first match, but I know I now have a more complete squad than previously in the competition."

Ruslan Malinovskiy's stunner settled an enthralling Classique in Marseille's favour as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 to reach the Coupe de France quarter-finals.

Malinovskiy's fantastic winner was just reward for a scintillating Marseille display at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.

Igor Tudor's team had 12 shots in the first half and took the lead through Alexis Sanchez's 31st-minute penalty, which was cancelled out by Sergio Ramos' header.

Ramos thought he had sent the tie to penalties when he headed home in stoppage time, but the offside flag came to Marseille's salvation.

A frantic opening set the tone. Pau Lopez denied Nuno Mendes before Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped over from Cengiz Under, saved Malinovskiy's stinging effort and watched Sead Kolasinac's strike arrow just wide.

PSG's luck ran out when Ramos tumbled into Under just inside the area – Sanchez coolly sending Donnarumma the wrong way from the spot and becoming the first Marseille player to net in a home Classique since Florian Thauvin in 2017.

Neymar struck the right-hand post with a superb low shot, though the woodwork then came to PSG's rescue when Under clipped the crossbar after Donnarumma unconvincingly thwarted Jonathan Clauss.

Marseille were made to pay for their profligacy on the cusp of half-time, Ramos nodding in from Neymar's corner.

Parity lasted just 12 minutes, though, with Malinovskiy lashing a venomous half-volley beyond Donnarumma from the edge of the box.

Valentin Rongier's wonderfully timed tackle prevented Mendes going through on goal as PSG hunted an immediate response.

Marseille were immensely fortunate Ramos strayed offside before heading in from a cross-shot that hit the bar, though they ultimately deserved their luck as 14-time Coupe de France winners PSG crashed out at the same stage as last season.

Christophe Galtier wants cool heads when Paris Saint-Germain step into the Stade Velodrome cauldron to face Marseille on Wednesday, recognising a crunch phase of the season has arrived.

Marseille-born Galtier, who began his playing career with the south-coast team, leads PSG into a Classique at the last-16 stage of the Coupe de France.

It is a meeting of the top two teams in Ligue 1, and PSG will be back in Marseille later in the month for a clash in league competition.

The Parisians also face Monaco and Lille in February, and they host the first leg of the keenly anticipated Champions League last-16 showdown with Bayern Munich next Tuesday.

Asked about pressure during what is his first term at the helm, Galtier said: "There is pressure from the moment you sign the contract. You have to get results.

"It is a month with a lot at stake. We will be playing in three competitions: the league, then tomorrow is a knockout game, and then the tie against Bayern Munich which everyone is looking forward to. That is also a knockout. There is a lot at stake and there are a lot of expectations this month."

Sergio Ramos and Neymar are available after injury, but Kylian Mbappe remains absent with a thigh problem.

Lionel Messi, after his winning goal against Toulouse on Saturday, will again be a player PSG look to for leadership.

"It is not just a last-16 tie but a Classique," Galtier said.

The coach is taking unusual measures to keep his mind on the job, even apparently snubbing family.

"I am trying to close everything from the outside that could be reaching my phone from family members so that I can stay focused on preparing for the game," Galtier added.

"We will need to be ourselves and play at our best level. We will need to be very good technically and have the ability to play under pressure from the opposition.

"Regarding the context, all my players have played in these sorts of games before."

It is this reason that encourages Galtier to believe his team should be able to cope with what should be a raucous atmosphere, feeding tensions on the pitch.

"We can't be overcome by dissent," he said. "There could be incidents on the pitch. It is the biggest game of the year for many people, so we need to stay clear-headed.

"I don't tell them to stay calm, because if you are calm you will fall asleep. You simply need to be clear-headed and play with quality."

Neymar has returned to full training with Paris Saint-Germain in a big boost for the French giants ahead of three big matches across the next week.

The Brazil international has not featured in PSG's past two games – league wins over Montpellier and Toulouse – due to suffering from muscular fatigue.

However, Neymar is now in contention to return for Wednesday's Classique against Marseille at Stade Velodrome in the last 16 of the Coupe de France.

Ligue 1 leaders PSG then face fourth-placed Monaco in the league on Saturday, before hosting Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next week.

PSG posted an image of Neymar in training on Monday, while fellow recent injury absentee Sergio Ramos was also present.

Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss at least the first leg of that showdown with Bayern, however, with the prolific forward still nursing a thigh injury.

Prior to his short lay-off, Neymar – who celebrated his 31st birthday on Sunday – had scored 17 goals and assisted 14 more in 25 appearances this season.

Those 31 goal involvements put Neymar level with team-mate Mbappe and behind only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (34) among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Kylian Mbappe's injury "does not seem very serious", Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier has revealed after the forward limped off against Montpellier.

With Neymar already ruled out of the Ligue 1 match because of muscle fatigue, Mbappe was forced off in the 21st minute of PSG's 3-1 victory on Tuesday and clutched his hamstring as he went straight down the tunnel.

The forward's injury came after he had missed a penalty, as well as its retake for a Montpellier encroachment, though his team went on to win the game through goals from Lionel Messi, Fabian Ruiz and 16-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery.

But after Sergio Ramos also came off with injury in the first half, there was much concern after the game over some players' availabilities with less than two weeks until the first leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.

Galtier eased fears over the injuries to Mbappe and Ramos, though, telling reporters at his post-match news conference: "It doesn't seem very serious, for one as for the other.

"We will see. Obviously they are two important players. On what we saw at half-time and what we said to each other, there is not too much worry.

"Kylian took a blow behind the knee and on the muscle. Is it a contusion, a hematoma. We don't know yet. With the sequence of matches, we prefer not to take any risks.

"Sergio, when falling, hurt his adductor. We think it's not serious. He preferred to come off and not take any risks regarding the discomfort."

Despite PSG winning Ligue 1 last season, head coach Mauricio Pochettino was relieved of his duties after failing to deliver the club's first Champions League.

Galtier is bidding to avoid the same fate, though he says he expected the pressure before he came into the job.

"Yes, automatically when you sign for PSG, there is an obligation to win," he said.

"The Champions League requires you to be ready. We have players coming back, and we've just had a World Cup. I knew before coming that there was pressure."

PSG missed out on a deadline day move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech due to the Premier League club reportedly making an error with the necessary paperwork.

When he was asked whether he was disappointed not to have brought Ziyech in, Galtier responded: "You know it. We wanted to replace the departure of Pablo Sarabia.

"Unfortunately, it didn't happen but it's the quirks of the transfer window – you have to accept it."

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has been ruled out of Wednesday's Ligue 1 match against Montpellier.

The 30-year-old has been in fine form for the reigning French champions this season, scoring 17 goals and assisting 14 more in 25 appearances.

Those 31 direct goal involvements put Neymar level with team-mate Kylian Mbappe and behind only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (34) among players across Europe's top five leagues.

However, the Brazil international will not play any part against Montpellier in midweek as he is suffering from muscular fatigue.

PSG announced the news on their official website on Tuesday, with no timeframe given for Neymar's return to action.

Mbappe and Lionel Messi have been included in Christophe Galtier's 21-man squad for the trip to 14th-place Montpellier, as PSG look for their first win in three league games.

After losing to Rennes and drawing with Reims in their past two matches, the Parisians' lead at the top of Ligue 1 has been cut to three points by Lens.

Christophe Galtier rubbished suggestions he must lose Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi or Neymar to balance his Paris Saint-Germain side.

The forward trio, arguably the most talented frontline in European football, have been at the forefront of the Ligue 1 giants' latest title charge this term.

But since the World Cup, where Argentina captain Messi defeated France forward Mbappe in the final, the team have won only two of five top-flight games.

Critics claim the team is too top-heavy, but ahead of Wednesday's match with Montpellier, Galtier scoffed at such ideas.

"We have three incredibly strong attacking players," he said. "Are you saying that we have to lose one of these three players to be balanced? That would be a mistake.

"[Our level] is insufficient though, in terms of points per game. We must quickly find a higher level of play, and above all score points.

"It happens in any season, that there is a bad period. We have a busy month ahead of us. January was not good, but now we are all working to remedy it."

Galtier further acknowledged star men Mbappe and Messi underperformed in the 1-1 draw with Reims, but he stressed the blame lies with the collective rather than the duo.

"Kylian and Leo didn't achieve what they usually achieve on an attacking level, but it is not a question of their state of mind," he added.

"With our organisation and our balance, we must find something else. We are working on it. Whatever the system, everyone has to give more on the pitch."

Folarin Balogun stunned Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes with a last-gasp equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw for Reims.

Neymar opened the scoring early in the second half to give Christophe Galtier's home side the lead, but substitute Marco Verratti was sent off soon afterwards.

PSG continued to have the better chances but could not extend their lead, though the 10 men still looked set to grind out a valuable win to return to winning ways on Ligue 1 duty.

Balogun had other ideas though, latching onto Kamory Doumbia's throughball to slot past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the sixth minute of stoppage time and stun the home crowd.

Christophe Galtier was seemingly unsurprised by Kylian Mbappe's brutal five-goal display in Paris Saint-Germain's Coupe de France demolition of Pays de Cassel on Monday.

PSG eased into the last 16 of the competition with an emphatic 7-0 victory at Lens' Stade Bollaert-Delelis, with Mbappe involved in all but one of their goals.

The sixth-tier opposition – who were technically the home team – did not look overawed and played some attractive football during the early stages, but the floodgates opened once Mbappe put PSG ahead with 29 minutes played.

It was 4-0 by half-time, with Mbappe netting three and setting up Neymar – the France forward added another two after the break to become the first player in PSG history to score five times in one match.

Carlos Soler – the scorer of PSG's other goal – also impressed, but it was Mbappe and Neymar whom Galtier focused on.

"Kylian Mbappe's a goalscorer, he's obsessed with goals and attacking," the coach told beIN SPORTS.

"I'm not going to say he's going to gain confidence [from scoring five goals], but he's up to his standard.

"It was important for him and Neymar to play the full game. They combined a lot and looked for each other a lot. It was good for them."

Such a contest represented the risk of a major shock for PSG, but there was never any real danger of a defeat as the Parisians produced a thoroughly professional display.

Mbappe believes that reflected the respect they have for lower-league opposition.

"We're happy, we came to qualify and respect this team," he said.

"Respect means playing at our level. We're happy. It was a great opportunity for [Pays de Cassel], and for us because we also come from amateur football.

"We are very happy to come and play, and it is an important competition for Paris Saint-Germain."

On the other side of things, Pays de Cassel coach Samuel Goethals spoke of his pride despite the heavy defeat, highlighting how playing in front of such a crowd was by no means a regular occurrence.

"It's still a source of great pride," he added. "The game was complicated, we did things within our means. I'm super proud of the group.

"We knew the balance of power was going to be very unbalanced, and it was unprecedented for each of us to play in front of 35,000 people, but I saw a yellow and black stadium, it was magnificent to experience.

"You have to be real, we are in Regional One, the sixth division, we are amateurs, and this was seen on the field. I would have preferred that we conceded one or two goals less, but [the match's speed] was too fast."

Kylian Mbappe became the first Paris Saint-Germain player to score five goals in a match as his side eased into the last 16 of the Coupe de France with a 7-0 win over sixth-tier Pays de Cassel on Monday.

The lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Pays de Cassel did not look overawed at Stade Bollaert-Delelis – the home of Lens – but PSG's vastly superior quality unsurprisingly soon shone through.

An 11-minute first-half spell saw the Ligue 1 leaders roar into an unassailable 4-0 lead, with Mbappe scoring three and setting up Neymar.

Mbappe continued his brutal exhibition after half-time with a couple of close-range goals either side of Carlos Soler's impudent finish.

Pays de Cassel gave a good account of themselves initially, putting together some intricate passing moves that brought huge cheers around their home away from home.

But PSG's breakthrough eventually arrived in the 29th minute as Mbappe met Nuno Mendes' cut-back and found the net via a significant deflection.

He then released Neymar to make it 2-0, the Brazilian dazzling the defence with his quick feet before firing left-footed through goalkeeper Romain Samson's legs.

Samson could only watch as Mbappe brought up his hat-trick before half-time with a pair of sumptuous chips.

But the keeper was culpable 10 minutes into the second half, completely missing Neymar's pass and allowing Mbappe a tap-in.

More great work by Neymar just after the hour left Soler to backheel over the line from a couple of yards out.

Soler was involved again 11 minutes from time as Mbappe completed the scoring with another poacher's effort from the Spaniard's cross.

 

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