Reports: Pep Guardiola reject Neymar swap

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By Martin Graham | 20th Jul 2022

According to reports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign Neymar this summer.

According to Le Parisien, City were indeed offered the iconic Brazil international over recent weeks but rejected the opportunity to sign him. The French outlet claimed PSG were pushing to see Bernardo Silva included in a potential deal, however, City refused to entertain the ambitious offer.

Neymar’s future has been a subject of conversations all summer after Kylian Mbappe signed a new bumper contract at the French capital. The reports became more popular when new PSG sporting director Luis Campos came on board and was willing to offload the 30-year-old in the current window.

Just like the Citizens, the Ligue 1 champions have failed in their own attempts to conquer Europe and were contemplating a mini revamp of the squad this summer.

Part of the changes in Paris is to offload the uninterested Neymar, who had been linked to Chelsea earlier in the summer. Now, that Guardiola’s Manchester City have rejected this move, it remains to be seen where PSG would turn to as per offloading the Brazillian.

Meanwhile, in order to overcome their own continental hoodoo next campaign, City have significantly strengthened this summer, adding the likes of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips to an already star-studded squad.

Pep Guardiola showers praise on Neymar

Just a little over a year ago, Pep Guardiola who just turned down the opportunity to sign the winger, felt he could have helped former side Barcelona win the UCL again.

“I remember watching clips of Neymar and thinking this is the king of Santos [Neymar’s first club in Brazil],” Guardiola revealed ahead of City’s Champions League semi-final second leg with PSG the season before last. “The players had their mouths open.

“If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona, they would have won two or three Champions League more. Him, [Lionel] Messi and [Luis] Suarez were the best up front. He makes football a pleasure.

“I always believe with the quality of the players, there isn’t a defensive strategy to stop them. They are too good. They are incredible players, that’s why they are there.”

Neymar won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 but left the Blaugrana for a world record fee for PSG in 2017.