Arsenal transfer news: Neymar to move to the Emirates?

Neymar to Arsenal?

Neymar is mulling over a move to the Premier League - but not to one of the two Manchester clubs, according to a bombshell report.

Speculation was rife in the summer that the Brazilian superstar could leave Paris Saint-Germain for the north of England, where it was said he would love to play under Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

But that ain’t so, says the Daily Express, which claims that Neymar would prefer to play for a side in the capital rather than either of “the Manchester giants”.

Loves the London limelight

Why is the 25-year-old South American ace contemplating such a move? Because he loves London, says the Express. The newspaper reports that Neymar has “privately told friends he would rather move to Chelsea or Arsenal”.

The player has started learning English, another sign that he intends to stay in the UK. Neymar signed for PSG from Barcelona a year ago in a record £200m deal, but it’s an open secret that he hasn’t settled in the French capital and the Express predicts he “will not see out his deal”.

The potential obstacle for both Chelsea and Arsenal is money, with Neymar currently pocketing £33m a season. It remains to be seen whether either club could meet his extravagant demands.

Forget Barcelona

The latest rumours have been strengthened by the admission of Neymar’s friend and compatriot, Ronaldinho, that a return to Barcelona is unlikely.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, the Brazilian legend and former Barca star was asked if he believed Neymar would retrace his steps to the Camp Nou.

“It’s something I don’t think will happen,” replied Ronaldinho, adding: “The important thing is that Neymar is happy.”