Neymar Confirms He's Staying at PSG Amid Exit Speculation

Neymar may have a new leading apparel sponsor in the coming season, but he won't have a new club.

The Brazilian star, whose long relationship with Nike came to an abrupt end this weekend, confirmed he won't be leaving PSG despite lengthy speculation he could depart. He told the club's official magazine that there's unfinished business following a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Nike is a big PSG sponsor–its Jordan Brand has its own PSG collection in addition to Nike's standard and lucrative jersey sponsorship–but that won't have appear to any bearing on Neymar's whereabouts.

"I am staying at PSG next season," said Neymar, whose contract runs through 2022. "And with the ambition to return to the Champions League final, this time to win it. I like this idea of doing everything to leave my name in the history books of my club. If people were doubting the presence of PSG as a great European club, those doubts died in Lisbon.

"We left this city with the feeling of being renewed and confidence in our capacity to win it one day to write an even greater history.

"By returning from Lisbon, in the plane on the way back, we were already excited to see each other again in Paris. I will never forget what we shared with this squad. It has formed a family and I am proud."

Neymar's comments echo those of Kylian Mbappe, who stated a little over a month ago that he, too, would be staying put despite plenty of interest from elsewhere. That should be music to the ears of all PSG fans and manager Thomas Tuchel, who enjoyed another French treble last season but have eyes on Europe's top prize.

Whether PSG will ever have as good of a chance to win the Champions League anytime soon remains to be seen. The revamped format and draw required PSG to beat Atalanta and RB Leipzig–two clubs new to playing that deep into the competition–in one-offs to advance to the final. PSG's talent on paper and financial clout will remain as strong as ever, but the quest for the trophy will be hard-pressed to be as straightforward, especially with the Champions League reverting to the two-legged ties in the knockout stage this coming season.

Neymar has been with PSG since completing a world-record 222 million euro transfer from Barcelona in 2017. He's been linked to a return to Barcelona or to its Spanish rival, Real Madrid, ever since. That speculation can evidently stay quiet for another year.