PSG Director Confirms Neymar Will Not Feature in Ligue 1 Opener Amid Fresh Barcelona Links
Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director Leonardo has confirmed that Neymar will not feature for the club when they kick-off their Ligue 1 title defence against Nîmes Olympique on Sunday.
The Brazil international has been tipped for a move away from the Parc des Princes throughout the summer transfer window, with Barcelona and Real Madrid most notably linked with a move for the world's most expensive footballer.
While it had appeared that Neymar would be forced to stay at Paris Saint-Germain as his suitors struggled to finance the move, the club's sporting director has now confirmed that their talisman won't be in action this weekend.
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While Neymar's absence could simply be a precation as he returns from an injury which kept him out of Brazil's success in the Copa América, there has also been a development in his future away from the French capital.
It's understood that the 27-year-old has been in talks with Real Madrid most recently, but Barcelona have begged Neymar to stop any talks over a move to the Santiago Bernabéu and instead pursue a move back to Catalonia.
They've also urged the Brazil international to stress his desire to move back to the Camp Nou, but manager Ernesto Valverde has played down his knowledge of a potential deal.
"We'll see what happens. The classic response is that he plays for another team and that's that," Valverde said, quoted by Goal.
"All I know is that I'm the manager and I only think about the players I have. They are the ones I'll be using [against Napoli] tomorrow. As it stands, I don't know what is going to happen."
