Neymar has revealed he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain despite fans demanding him to depart last season.
The Brazilian star remains the most expensive player in history after joining the French side from Barcelona for £190million in 2017.
However, doubts have remained over his future at the club after they failed to deliver the Champions League once again.
Fans displayed their frustration in May as they gathered outside Neymar’s house to demand him to leave but he hopes to remain with the club for the upcoming season.
‘I hope to play this season at PSG, I have a contract with Paris. So far, no one has told me anything,’ the 31-year-old stated in an interview with CazeTV.
Neymar has admitted he would like to remain with PSG despite reports linking him away
PSG fans turned up outside Neymar’s house last season to demand him to leave the club
‘I am calm, even if there is not much love between the supporters and the player. I will be there with or without love.’
Neymar’s campaign last season was ended by an ankle injury suffered in February and required surgery having suffered a similar problem at the Qatar World Cup three months earlier.
He returned to training last week and is looking to get back on the pitch once again after overcoming a ‘difficult’ process.
Neymar said: ‘The process was very painful and it is very difficult, but I am trying to come back well. Obviously, winning is always part of the objectives, but I want to play well again, that’s the first thing.’
He added on the pain of being eliminated by Croatia at the 2022 World Cup: ‘I can’t tell you what went through my head. It was the most painful defeat of my career, for sure. I cried for five straight days. It hurt me a lot that my dream had turned to nothing.
‘It was the worst moment of my life. It felt like a funeral, someone crying on one side of you, someone else crying on the other. It was horrible, a feeling I don’t want to experience that again.’
Mail Sport reported this week Chelsea are keen on signing Neymar if he decides to leave the Ligue 1 giants.
His contract in Paris will expire in 2025 but he does have an option to extend that deal further by a year.
Luis Enrique and Neymar previously worked with one another during the coach’s tenure at Barcelona, which saw the Blaugrana win a historic treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League in Luis Enrique’s debut season.
The Brazilian star returned to training last week after recovering from a long-term injury
Neymar was taken off on a stretcher after suffering an ankle injury in February against Lille
Although Neymar may be keen to stay on and work with the manager a second time, his paymasters within the club’s hierarchy, may be more interested in organising his departure.
Alongside concerns over Neymar’s persistent injury record, the club are burdened by the Brazilian’s exorbitant salary, which hands him £22m(€26m) net per season.
Shifting the salary off their wage bill would reduce anxiety within the club about staying within the guidelines of updated Financial Fair Play regulations.
