Ornstein: Neymar wants to finish career at PSG

Paris Saint-Germain saw their aim of winning the Champions League end in disappointment for another season last week, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the first knockout round.

The aftermath has been familiar and included fresh scrutiny over the futures of their star attackers.

Kylian Mbappe is nearing the final year of his contract, Lionel Messi’s deal expires this summer and speculation also surrounds Neymar, who will miss the rest of the season following ankle surgery.

Clarity on Mbappe and Messi should arrive soon (the former must tell the club if he plans to sign a two-year extension and the latter will either renew or walk away as a free agent); Neymar’s situation is less pressing, given the forward is committed to PSG until 2027.

Neymar is often linked with a return to Barcelona and moves elsewhere, but he has stayed at PSG and that looks set to remain the case — because the 31-year-old wants to finish his career there.

Since joining from Barcelona in 2017 for a world-record £200million ($240m), Neymar has helped the Ligue 1 side reach their first Champions League final (in 2020) and has lifted 13 domestic trophies.

During his spell at PSG, the club’s value, according to Forbes, has risen from $841million to $3.2billion and he has cemented his status among the sport’s most iconic figures.

The fact he was subject to the biggest transfer in football history means that it would take an enormous investment for any suitor to prise the Brazil international away from the French capital.

But irrespective of the finances involved, Neymar’s wish is to finish his playing days with PSG and help them achieve further success, particularly in the one tournament they are yet to conquer.

Neymar, who has scored 118 goals in 173 appearances across all competitions for PSG, will be 34 when the 2026 World Cup takes place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and 35 when his existing terms at the Parc des Princes end the following June.

Whether the Santos academy graduate retires then or prolongs his stay in Paris beyond a decade will not be known until much later. As things stand, however, he does not plan to represent another team.