Real Madrid have reportedly been told by PSG to offer their defensive superstar Rapahel Varane as part of the deal to sign Neymar.
According to a report by French outlet Telefoot, Real Madrid know what they need to do in order to secure the services of Neymar before the summer transfer window closes on September 2. The La Liga heavyweights must offer Raphael Varane plus cash in order to prise the disgruntled Brazilian away from PSG.
The Neymar saga is one that has engulfed pretty much the entire summer transfer window, unlike any that transpired over the last couple of months. The relationship between the player and PSG has broken down and it has been reported that a summer exit has been looming for quite some time.
PSG have lost five of their last six away matches in Ligue 1 – and four of those losses came without a certain ?? star.
Is there a Neymar sized hole in the PSG XI? ? pic.twitter.com/i2KqADOKKG
— Goal (@goal) August 18, 2019
The speculation surrounding Neymar has only intensified lately amid reports of a bidding war between Real Madrid and Barcelona, in addition to the 27-year-old’s exclusion from the matchday squads for PSG’s first two league games of the season. And, among the two Spanish giants, it is Real Madrid, who appear to be closer to landing their man, if at all.
Telefoot suggest that Los Blancos had offered Gareth Bale plus cash to sign Neymar. But, PSG did not accept the offer, with Bale now set to stay put after a splendid performance in Real Madrid’s La Liga season opener. And, with the Welshman unlikely to leave this summer, it is curious as to how the Merengues will manage to fit Neymar in.
The report does suggest that Zinedine Zidane does not fancy Neymar and is instead the preference of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. Either way, the Brazilian superstar remains a target for the Spanish club, who are also considering offering James Rodriguez as part of the deal to land their top target.
But, PSG want either Raphael Varane or Vinicius Junior to part ways with the aggrieved forward. The keenness towards Varane though, is surprising, considering Les Parisiens signed Abdou Diallo this summer and already have Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and Thilo Kehrer as central defensive options.
But, Real Madrid are not open to the idea of letting Varane leave, which makes sense, seeing as the Frenchman is one of their most important players. Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois and Keylor Navas could also be options, although only Varane, Vinicius or James would do the trick for PSG, as per Telefoot.
As for Barcelona, they had offered Philippe Coutinho as part of the deal to re-sign Neymar, but with the Brazilian joining Bayern Munich, that option is no longer available. The La Liga champions are weighing up other options, with their French counterparts having their eyes on Nelson Semedo, who does not want to leave.
Things remain in a delicate state as far as the Neymar saga is concerned. With just two weeks left for the summer transfer window to slam shut, something will have to give and it remains to be seen if either Real Madrid or PSG budge from their stance to finally reach an agreement over a deal. For now, what remains certain is that Neymar wants a move.
