Only four clubs scored fewer Premier League goals than Chelsea (38) this season, so it’s little wonder the Blues are bolstering the attack over the summer.
Alexis Bernard of Le10 Sport says incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino could be renewing acquaintances with Neymar as Chelsea are in talks over a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
Kai Havertz was Chelsea’s top scorer in the league with seven goals from 35 appearances and Raheem Sterling was second with six goals in 28 games, so they desperately need a prolific attacker.
Hakim Ziyech failed to score in 18 outings, Noni Madueke netted only one in 12 games, and Christian Pulisic scored once in 24 matches, so all three players might be moved on in the coming months.
Neymar has two years remaining on his deal at the Parc des Princes, but Bernard says PSG are considering offloading him early. The 31-year-old scored 18 goals with 17 assists from 29 games this season but missed more than 20 matches in all competitions.
He’s bagged 118 goals with 77 assists from 173 games since joining PSG from Barcelona in 2017, but Neymar hasn’t been able to shake off injuries in France while taking home the equivalent of £3.4m-a-month in wages.
Kylian Mbappe is far more important to the Parisians than the Brazilian international, so Chelsea might have luck in negotiations. And after spending more than £500m on signings in the last two transfer windows, they certainly have the resources to land Neymar’s signature.
Time will tell if he considers them a good career move given how badly they fared in the league, however, as PSG are perennial title-winners while Chelsea finished outside of the top-half in 2022/23. Neymar would surely have better suitors in Europe if he was considering a departure.
PSG are clearing up the wage bill with the departures of Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi this summer, replacing the pair with Milan Skriniar and Marco Asensio on free transfers, so Neymar’s exit would be financially beneficial. He should fetch around £53m, as per reports in January.
