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Neymar Jr is reportedly convinced that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate Kylian Mbappe played a major role in the club wanting to sell Brazil international this summer.
According to L'Equipe (h/t le10sport), Luis Campos offered Neymar's services to Manchester City and Chelsea after becoming the club's sporting advisor this summer. A move never materialized, and the former Barcelona star ended up staying at the Parc des Princes.
The Brazilian playmaker is reportedly convinced that Mbappe wanted him out of PSG this summer and has voiced his opinion regarding the same in private.
The two reportedly maintained minimal contact in the days following their return from vacation. Mbappe was himself heavily linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 giants at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
The Frenchman's contract at PSG expired this summer but he extended it by another three years and rejected a move to Real Madrid at the 11th hour. The deal promised the former AS Monaco star €250 million over the next three years and gave him some say in the club's decision-making process.
Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in a world-record €222 million deal in 2017. His individual brilliance has never been up for debate but injuries have plagued his time in Paris.
The Brazilian has missed 104 matches for Les Parisiens in the past five seasons due to fitness issues. If Mbappe and Neymar have had a falling-out behind the scenes, it hasn't affected their performances on the pitch.
The duo have a combined tally of 21 goals and eight assists in 21 matches across competitions for the Ligue 1 champions. They have, however, reportedly had a couple of squabbles on the pitch this season - most notably over a penalty and not passing the ball.
PSG manager relaxed about Neymar and Kylian Mbappe's relationship
Manager Christoph Galtier has had a brilliant start to life as PSG boss. The Paris-based giants sit atop the Ligue 1 table with 22 points from eight league games and have won both their UEFA Champions League group stage matches so far.
Often when things are going great on the pitch, speculation and rumors surrounding the club's biggest stars become the manager's biggest headache. For Galtier, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday (September 9) about Neymar and Mbappe's reported rift off the pitch, the former Lille boss said (h/t ESPN):
"The relationship between Ney and Kylian is very good, and I'm not giving you the runaround. They are together in the training exercises, they are often together in the warm-ups. Yes, there was that match situation. And I discussed it yesterday with Kylian, who I think has discussed it with Ney."
