Spanish international defender Pique indicated the South
American maestro would continue at Camp Nou by tweeting a photo of Neymar with
the caption “He’s staying.”
The message came hours after Neymar gave Barcelona fans a
dazzling reminder of what he brings, the talisman scoring twice as the Spanish
giants defeated Juventus 2-1 in a pre-season friendly Saturday in New Jersey.
The 25-year-old Brazilian superstar is at the centre of
frenzied speculation linking him to a world record 222-million-euro ($256.8
million) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported on its website late
Sunday that the transfer of Neymar to PSG could be made official in the next
few days.
And ESPN’s website reported, citing an unnamed source, that
Neymar had no idea why Pique tweeted the photo and message. The report also
said sources had Neymar wanting to move to the French club and agreeing to
terms on a deal for at least four years.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde swatted down talk of
Neymar departing to France on Friday, dismissing “rumours” while saying the
squad wants him to stay for years to come.
“This is a time of rumours. We understand it’s how it is,”
Valverde said. “He is with us right now. One of us. It’s a player we love and
we want. Not only football-wise but also for the things he brings to the locker
room.
“It’s only rumours. There’s no need to worry about something
we don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. If it happens in the future,
we’ll see. But no need to worry about it now.”
Barcelona, with Neymar set to be in the lineup, play a
pre-season friendly against Manchester United on Wednesday at Washington.
AFP
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