Chelsea are interested in making an offer for Neymar but will wait to see if the Brazilian star is ready to leave Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports.
The world’s most expensive player has a lingering question mark over his future at the Parisian giants, despite having four years left on his contract, which is set to expire in 2027.
Neymar has not turned out for the side since February of this year, when he picked up a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery and an extensive recovery period.
But the 31-year-old has joined PSG for their pre-season preparations this week, and is believed to be in the process of considering his future at the Parc des Princes.
As per Le Parisien, whilst Neymar was once intent on leaving this summer – with a return to Barcelona thought to be at the top of his list – the arrival of new head coach Luis Enrique in the wake of Christophe Galtier’s sacking has piqued his interest, and he could be compelled to stay.
Chelsea are set to target Neymar should the player be interested in an imminent PSG move
The player’s last campaign was ended early by injury and the club are keen to shift the player
But the opportunity to work with former Barca boss Luis Enrique could tempt him to stay on
However, if Neymar takes the decision to look away from Ligue 1, Chelsea are poised to swoop, and the Blues are thought to monitoring Neymar’s conversations with his new manager closely.
Luis Enrique and Neymar previously worked with one another during the coach’s tenure at Barcelona, which saw the Blaugrana win a historic treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League in Luis Enrique’s debut season.
Although Neymar may be keen to stay on and work with the manager a second time, his paymasters within the club’s hierarchy, may be more interested in organising his departure.
Alongside concerns over Neymar’s persistent injury record, the club are burdened by the Brazilian’s exorbitant salary, which hands him £22million (€26m) net per season.
Shifting the salary off their wage bill would reduce anxiety within the club about staying within the guidelines of updated Financial Fair Play regulations.
Adding to the list of pros for moving Messi on is the whiff of unpopularity around the player: in May, his was one of the houses targeted by frustrated ultras, along with Lionel Messi’s.
The Argentine playmaker is set to be unveiled as an Inter Miami player on July 16.
Chelsea previously mulled a move for the talented winger in August 2022 in an attempt to reunite Neymar with another former manager, Thomas Tuchel.
Since the deal stalled whilst Chelsea pursued other targets, the west London side has maintained a roiling interest in the player that could yet spark a landmark deal.
Neymar previously worked with Luis Enrique during the Blaugrana’s historic treble campaign
But a move to Chelsea would reunite him with a more recent manager, Mauricio Pochettino
Should the Blues make an offer for Neymar – PSG are thought to value their record signing at £59m – travelling to the Premier League would see him link up once again with Mauricio Pochettino, who he worked with during the manager’s brief spell in the French capital.
Together, the pair won the Coupe de France and topped Ligue 1 during Pochettino’s year-and-a-half stint at PSG.
As well as Neymar, Chelsea are eyeing a number of new recruits after shifting a number of players early on during the summer window, freeing up both capital and space in their squad.
The west London side are thought to be the front runners for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, and could enter the race for Arsenal academy product Folarin Balogun, who has excelled on loan at Reims this season.
