Revealed: The two Premier League clubs that wanted to sign Neymar this year
Karan Tejwani
- 19 Oct 2022 16:15 BST
- 3 min read
There is often a debate about Neymar’s future, and it’s now been revealed that two Premier League clubs tried to make a move for him in the summer transfer window.
Neymar was linked with an exit from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer and there were some suggestions that team-mate Kylian Mbappe wanted him to go as well.
He ended up staying at PSG and is now thriving under new manager Christophe Galtier’s system, as he has formed a fine partnership in attack with Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
However, things could’ve been much different for him this season, as it’s been revealed by reports in Spain that Premier League duo Chelsea and Newcastle wanted to sign him.
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Chelsea and Newcastle were interested in Neymar
Chelsea would’ve been a sensible option for Neymar, as it would’ve given him a chance to work with Thomas Tuchel once again, with whom he shared a great relationship with at PSG.
The two were together at the French club between 2018 and 2020, reaching the Champions League final in 2020 where they fell short against Bayern Munich.
However, Chelsea were only willing to make a loan deal with an option to buy and were offering Neymar a contact worth €10 million-per-season.
Neymar’s game by numbers vs. Marseille:
100% long balls completed
89 touches
86% pass accuracy
9 ground duels won
3 key passes
2 dribbles completed
1 shot on target
1 goal
Continues his elite run of form. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/NuhvG8bTH9— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) October 16, 2022
Newcastle would’ve been more complicated, as they still didn’t have a status in European football and it would’ve been more complicated to pursue him to move to St. James Park.
Despite Newcastle’s riches, they’ve opted to go for a smarter strategy, signing younger players who can bring great value to their side, such as Bruno Guimaraes or Alexander Isak.
Having stayed, the 30-year-old is enjoying an excellent start to the season, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists in 16 league matches for the Parisians this campaign.
There are still doubts over where he’ll be playing his football in the next season, amid rumours of a rift with Mbappe, but as of now, he seems to be settled in the French capital.
