An exit door appears to have opened up for Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, and that is allowing his former employers at Santos to “dream” of bringing a prodigal son home.
GOAL has been able to confirm that offers for the Brazil international superstar will be listened to this summer, with that revelation said to have piqued interest from teams in the Premier League.
At 30 years of age, the South American forward still has plenty of football left in him at the very highest level, but a retracing of steps to his roots at Santos could be on the cards at some stage.
Will Neymar return to Santos?
Santos president Andres Rueda has told Radio Guaruja that discussions have been held with Neymar’s father – who is also his agent – regarding a possible return to where it all began.
He has said of the speculation suggesting that a man set to lead his country in a quest for World Cup glory later this year could soon be on the move at club level: “I often talk to Neymar’s father, we exchange ideas and it is part of our daily routine.
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“With this opportunity and what happens with him at PSG, Santos will always leave the doors open and dream.
“When he left, he said he would go and come back. We are talking, we will talk and it is a dream. My obligation is to at least try.”
Which other teams have been linked with Neymar?
Neymar committed to a new long-term contract with PSG in March 2021, with a further extension option reported to have been triggered taking him through to 2027.
There is, however, plenty of gossip to be found regarding a transfer being put in place long before that agreement comes to a close.
Chelsea are considered to be leading any chase for Neymar’s signature, while the riches now available to Newcastle have led some to suggest that they could be in the hunt.
A return to Barcelona has been discussed for some time, but financial difficulties at Camp Nou would make it difficult for them to put a big-money deal in place.
Neymar has spoken in the past of his desire to work with Pep Guardiola, having missed out on that opportunity in Catalunya, and that could bring Premier League champions Manchester City into the equation.
Serie A giants Juventus have also been credited with interest, but they are another outfit that may struggle to generate the required funds.