PSG looking to ramp up contract talks with Neymar, Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain are in talks with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe over contract extensions and will look to make progress in the coming weeks, sporting director Leonardo assured.

Neymar and Mbappe are the world’s two most expensive players, having joined PSG for €222million and €180m respectively.

Both attacking superstars are into the final two years of their existing deals, however, making the club potentially vulnerable in upcoming transfer windows.

PSG are determined to keep the duo in the French capital and have already opened negotiations, with Angel Di Maria – out of contract at the end of 2020-21 – another key target for Leonardo.

“We must adapt to the current context with the coronavirus pandemic,” he said in a Q&A on PSG’s social media channels.

“With Neymar, Mbappe, [Angel] Di Maria, [Juan] Bernat and even the young players, they are all the extensions we have already started discussions for and we will try to intensify this in the next few weeks.

“We have started talking [with Neymar]. There is the timing; at the moment, people cannot even move [in the transfer market]. The idea of ​​renewing exists.”

Vamos começar a semana agradecendo a Deus porque que tenho certeza que mais bênçãos virão. Boa semana a todos pic.twitter.com/hZf1XBflDG

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) October 19, 2020

Mbappe has consistently been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but Leonardo is not concerned by the noise in Spain.

“There is a lot of talk,” he said. “And in the Spanish teams, there are a lot of politics. We speak directly with Kylian, that’s the truth of the negotiation.

“The truth is that PSG are in a complicated moment, but it will be the team of the next five years that will have a shot.

“There are teams that have gone through a very long, successful cycle and are starting to struggle. We have young but very experienced players.

“We have Neymar, Mbappe, who are in the top three [in the world] because [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi will come out with age.

“That’s the idea. I see this future and that’s what we’re working on.

“We know this season is weird. We knew it would be difficult, that we will play all our games behind closed doors and that we would not have the same income.”

But PSG’s immediate concerns relating to Neymar and Mbappe are their respective returns to fitness.

Blessed … @equipedefrance pic.twitter.com/SqwOZiDQtz

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) November 5, 2020

Between coronavirus cases, suspensions and injuries, Neymar has played just six times in all competitions this season, while Mbappe has been restricted to eight appearances.

The pair are both carrying knocks heading into the international break but have each been called up by their national teams.

“If it is an official call-up, the club cannot say anything – even if the player is injured,” said Leonardo, who defended PSG’s awful injury record this season.

“There have been moments of shock and times when we try to have something logical, some common sense.

“With Brazil and France, it was clear: they are injured, they have a schedule, they have to respect the time [required to get fit]. They follow a programme as if they were here.

“They are not going to play the first game with their national teams, maybe the second. That’s the only thing we could do.

“The federations assured us that they would not take any risk with the health of our players. Then the schedule is hellish. We will try to live with it but it’s incredible.”