Transfer Centre

Mauricio Pochettino 'blocks Chelsea move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 08 August 2023

Pochettino 'blocks Chelsea move for Neymar'

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino allegedly tells Chelsea officials that he would not be in favour of an approach for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly made it clear that he does not want Neymar as part of his first-team squad this season.

While the Blues have endured a chaotic summer, through necessity more so than choice, it has also been productive with Pochettino seeing a wide array of talent depart Stamford Bridge.

Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have also arrived to bolstered his senior ranks, other additions currently bidding to impress before the end of August.

If reports are to be believed, Chelsea's remaining focus is on at least one experienced central midfielder and a versatile attacker who can play in a number of roles in the final third.

With Moises Caicedo, despite being just 21 years of age, still earmarked as the priority choice for the former, Chelsea are seemingly yet to decide who to try to acquire further forward.

Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Neymar after the match on August 1, 2023 © Reuters

On Monday, it was claimed that Neymar had informed Paris Saint-Germain officials that he would like to depart the Ligue 1 champions before the end of the transfer window.

Although 118 goals and 77 assists have been contributed from just 173 appearances, there is a feeling that the Brazil international's stint in Paris will come to an end if they receive a suitable offer.

PSG would allegedly jump at the chance to cash in on Neymar for a fee in the region of £60m, particularly when they would substantially lower their wage bill in the process and have just committed to signing Goncalo Ramos from Benfica.

Nevertheless, according to the Evening Standard, Pochettino does not want to be reunited with Neymar in West London over the coming weeks.

Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar celebrates after the match against Bayern Munich with Mauricio Pochettino in the Champions League on April 13, 2021 © Reuters

The report suggests that there would be concerns over whether the 31-year-old would be a suitable fit for the Chelsea squad that is being built by the Argentine.

Furthermore, adding Neymar's wages to the club's outgoings would put a strain on Chelsea's efforts to remain on the right side of FFP when they have made huge progress on that front since the start of June.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is believed to have held phone calls with his PSG counterparts this summer, yet that working relationship is unlikely to hold any sway in future discussions.

Kylian Mbappe has also been linked with a possible loan switch to Chelsea but that, too, looks unlikely to materialise unless there is a change of direction within the club's recruitment team.