Over the weekend, it seemed that rumors of Neymar’s departure from Barcelona would cool down, following teammate Gerard Pique’s Instagram selfie with the Brazilian, captioned with “Se queda”: he stays. The photo brought a sense of relief to Barca fans, as it seemed like confirmation that Neymar would play at least another season at the Camp Nou. Unfortunately, Neymar’s inner circle wasn’t as happy about the post. According to ESPN FC, when asked about the motives behind Pique’s post, a source close to Neymar said he had “no idea” why the Spain international posted that comment.
Wait, there’s more. ESPN FC is also reporting that Neymar has told PSG he wants to move the Parc des Princes and has already agreed to terms on a contract. The source also said that Neymar and his father, Neymar Sr., have been in discussions with PSG’s owners and sporting director Antero Henrique for the past few days. The alleged deal would be “at least four years” and would see Neymar take home about €30m a year after taxes with an enormous signing bonus.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the Brazilian superstar–who is currently in the United States with Barcelona for the International Champions Cuphas already told some of his teammates that he is leaving for PSG.
On the other side of the coin, Spanish outlet Sport reported that Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez had managed to convince Neymar to stay. Barcelona radio station RAC1 said on Sunday that an initial meeting between Neymar Sr. and members of the Barca board on Saturday didn’t go well for the Catalan club, with Mundo Deportivo indicating that a second round of talks were set for Sunday. All in all, the weekend just threw gasoline on the flames, and Piqué’s photo seems to not be as definitive as first thought of by fans on social media.
One thing is certain: until he moves or makes a statement saying he’s staying, Neymar’s future will continue to dominate soccer headline for the forseeable future. After scoring two first-half goals against Juventus during Saturday’s ICC match in New Jersey, Neymar chosen to not speak to the media, keeping everyone in the dark for a little while longer.