Chelsea have opened talks to sign Paris-Saint Germain superstar Neymar for Mauricio Pochettino, according to le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard.
Who could Chelsea sign this summer?
After a very underwhelming and regrettable 2022/2023 Premier League campaign, which saw the west Londoners finish in the bottom half, it is the task of Todd Boehly to back new manager Pochettino to turn the tide.
Chelsea are also without European football next campaign and must convince star players that they can become successful at Stamford Bridge.
According to recent reports, it appears they’re could be targeting upgrades in a variety of different postions, including a new goalkeeper, star striker and central midfield reinforcements.
The likes of Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Manuel Ugarte have been linked for the latter position most recently, while AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan is apparently among the targets for in-between their sticks.
Dusan Vlahovic and Tammy Abraham are attracting interest for the striker role, but according to a report by le10sport and Bernard on Twitter, it appears Brazil superstar Neymar is another big name on their radar.
According to the French reporter, Chelsea have opened discussions with PSG over the 31-year-old, and the Ligue 1 giants are willing to entertain their advances.
There has been “official contact” to sign Neymar, who are apparently open to idea of selling their forward, with Chelsea making moves behind-the-scenes.
Who is Neymar?
The former Barcelona star has over 120 caps for Brazil and is among their highest goalscorers of all time, having also won a plethora of honours at club level.
Called a “special talent” by pundit Danny Murphy, Neymar’s trophy cabinet boasts a Champions League winner’s medal, a huge array of European league titles and even an Olympic gold medal (Transfermarkt).
Pochettino, commenting on the attacker during his PSG managerial days, heaped real praise on Neymar for his contribution at the Parc des Princes – having been left “thrilled”.
“I’m very happy with his state of mind, his mentality, and everything he brings to the team,” Pochettino said of Neymar (Le Parisien via Tribuna).“He is a creative player, and, as with any creative player, you expect magic every time he touches the ball.”These players have a higher energy expenditure than others. It’s not easy and I’m thrilled with what he’s doing.”
