Marco Verratti speaks out on Neymar’s PSG exit

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Marco Verratti told French media RMC that he has never heard his clubmate Neymar saying he wanted to leave the club.

“Beyond that, I don’t know what he has been saying to the club.

The 26-year-old Italian added, “When a player wants to leave, the club should let him leave. Depending on the financial conditions agreed by the club of course. But you can’t keep a player who wants to leave.”

Neymar has been heavily linked with a move back to Barcelona, with Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner confirming the 27-year-old Brazil forward’s desire to return to Camp Nou.

The world’s most expensive footballer who signed for the French champions in 2017 for  £200 million has had a rough time in Paris.

He is yet to feature in PSG’s pre-season tour in Asia and French media reckon he will miss Tuesday’s game against Sydney in China.

The Blaugrana have already signed Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid and the French World-Cup winner has already featured in one pre-season match, in which they lost to Chelsea.

There are rumours that Philippe Coutinho could be offered to PSG in a bid to facilitate a move for Neymar, who was part of Barca’s formidable trio of MSN, alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.