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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Patrick Austen-Hardy

PSG chiefs 'regret' Neymar contract extension as future placed under threat

Paris Saint-Germain chiefs reportedly “regret” their decision to extend Neymar’s contract at the Parc des Princes until 2022.

The former Barcelona winger put pen to paper on a new deal which would keep him at Mauricio Pochettino’s side until 2025. Neymar earns an eye-watering €40million (£33m) per season, which is more than his fellow attacking team mates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

PSG are cruising towards the French title, but the club’s supporters have not forgiven their players for their early Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid. And the French giants could be prepared to cue their losses on the player who cost them a record breaking £200m in the summer of 2017.

Neymar and Messi were both mercilessly booed by the PSG fans during their comfortable victory against Bordeaux in March. Even though Neymar was on the scoresheet in a comfortable 3-0 home victory, PSG fans still attributed the blame for their Champions League exit towards Messi and Neymar.

And reports from SPORT claim this feeling has overspilled onto the PSG board, who are said to ‘regret’ their decision to extend his deal. Neymar’s repeated injuries and increasingly inconsistent performances have reportedly frustrated the Parisian chiefs.

The atmosphere and mood is a stark contrast to the initial relief that he chose to remain at the Parc des Princes. "I'm very happy to be extending my contract with Paris until 2025,” Neymar said shortly after signing the new deal in May 2021.

Do you think Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain need to part ways? Let us know in the comments

Neymar has had a frustrating last couple of seasons at PSG (REUTERS)

"The truth is that I'm very happy to be staying here for four more years, to be a part of the club's project, to try and win titles, to try and achieve our biggest dream which is the Champions League.

"So I'm happy to be staying at the club, to be a part of it and to be extending my contract. The joy of being part of this squad, of the team, of Paris Saint-Germain, the club.

"And then, of course, the affinity I have with the club, with the work, with the players that are in the squad today, with a great coach who will certainly help us even more. These things make you believe in the project even more."

The French giants' Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in 2020 still represents the only time in their history where they have reached the final of European Football’s elite contest. They were also knocked out by Manchester City in last season’s Champions League semi-final, losing both legs as Pep Guardiola’s technicians played them off the park.

The arrivals of Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, and Achraf Hakimi were hoped to be a tipping point for PSG. Unfortunately, the club has not been able to halt the regression and the frustration towards Neymar’s performances is another slight on a season that promised so much.

While PSG may be looking to move Neymar on, his enormous salary could prove to be a huge problem. Very few clubs are in a financial position to match it and even fewer would be willing to.

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