Looks like not even the wealthiest clubs on the planet have been able to cope with the financial burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as reports are emerging that PSG sporting director Leonardo would be keen on keeping at least Neymar or Kylian Mbappe during the summer transfer window.
Apparently at this juncture even deep-pocketed PSG may be forced to sell one of their top stars to cope with those losses to keep alive their dream of bringing Messi to the Parisien capital.
According to L’Equipe, the Ligue 1 champions have handed a document to Ligue 1’s National Management Control Board, (or DNCG, its French acronym), reporting a €204M deficit compared to last season. Forced to face those numbers, it appears Les Parisiens could be forced to let at least one of their glittering stars leave the club this summer.
L’Equipe’s sources have revealed that PSG is still earnest in luring Lionel Messi to Parc des Princes, only that to achieve this would mean either Neymar or Mbappé having to leave the club. That said, even the departure of one of these players would be insufficient to cover Lionel Messi’s wages at the club, if he ended up joining last season’s UEFA Champions League runners-up next summer.
According to L’Equipe’s sources, Leonardo has stated that if push comes to shove and it came down to choosing between the Brazilian and the Frenchman, the club would choose to keep Neymar around and part ways with Mbappé, as the latter would be easier to sell, being heavily linked to Real Madrid, Liverpool, and even Bayern Munich, although there have not been any official offers for the striker as yet.
Whatever the final outcome, it would make keeping a keen eye on the summer transfer window a lot more appealing than the current one, where transfer movements have been infrequent due to the financial burdens faced by most, if not all, clubs around the world.