Neymar will retire at Paris Saint-Germain unless his salary demands and asking price are lowered, according to La Liga president Javier Tebas.
The Brazil forward was strongly linked with a move back to Spain before the closure of the transfer window on Monday, with the 27-year-old having been keen on a return to Barcelona.
The move didn’t materialise in the end, however, with Neymar, who hasn’t featured for PSG thus far this season, remaining at Parc des Princes, with his relationship with the club and their supporters seemingly needing some repair work.
Tebas, though, reiterated his previous stance that Neymar’s return to La Liga is not required for Spanish football and talked down the chances of the player finding a new club if his wage demands remain the same.
“It is always important to have good assets to increase [La Liga’s] value, but he is not essential,” Tebas said at the Soccerex Europe congress in Lisbon.
“If Neymar comes, good. If Neymar doesn’t come, I don’t see it as essential, because we continue to grow.”
Barca ultimately failed to reach an agreement with PSG over a deal for Neymar, who made the switch two years ago in a record €222 million deal and has three years to run on his contract in the French capital.
“The problem of not coming back now [to Barcelona] has to do with his own departure to PSG,” Tebas said. “It was an off-market transfer, it was only possible to happen with ‘traps’ to increase sponsorships.
“When you do it out of the market, it is impossible to sell again at this price. In view of the market, Neymar will retire at PSG unless he lowers his salary and also his PSG claims.”
Neymar has not featured for PSG since May due to injury concerns and doubts over his future.
He is, however, with the Brazil national team ahead of their international friendly meetings with Colombia and Peru, and team-mate Richarlison insists he remains happy despite the failed move back to Spain.
“Everyone knows his importance, not only here in the national team but for his club,” the Everton attacker said.
“And everyone saw his happiness being here in the national team again. So, now we’re cheering for him to have a good match tomorrow [against Colombia] and to help us.
“Neymar is like everyone here. He’s happy. Life goes on for him, too, even if it didn’t work out for him.
“I don’t know what happened at his club. What matters is that he is happy here in the Brazilian national team. And the important thing now is that he helps us.”
Story By:Daniel Lewis
