PSG superstar Neymar makes defiant claim ahead of new season

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar Jr. appears to be in a confident mood ahead of the upcoming season under new boss Christophe Galtier. He stated that he has trained well and it will help him in delivering results in front of goal.

The 30-year-old forward has endured mixed times at the Parc des Princes since his world-record move from Barcelona in 2017 for €222 million. He has only played more than 30 games in one campaign in those five years for PSG due to injury issues.

Neymar attracted particular criticism last term from his own supporters. He was jeered following PSG's catastrophic elimination in the second round of the Champions League.

The Brazilian international has even been linked with a move away from the French capital (via ESPN). However, he gave a defiant statement on his Facebook page as he stated (as per CulturePSG):

"This year, all the shots will come in. Free kicks, strikes from outside the area, headers. I feel good. I'm confident. I trained a lot during these holidays."

Neymar was brought in to the Qatar-owned club to help the team claim their first ever Champions League trophy. However, with the exception of reaching the final under Thomas Tuchel in 2020, the Parisiens have failed to ever get close to achieving that feat.

The tricky winger still has four years left on his current contract with the club.

Neymar's former agent claims PSG superstar was close to signing for Real Madrid

Before his big move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013, the forward was close to joining the Blaugrana's arch-rivals Real Madrid.

His former agent Wagner Ribeiro has revealed how close Los Blancos president Florentino Perez was to securing the then-wonderkid.

He told L'Equipe, via The US Sun:

"Florentino thought he had it. He accepted an offer that I presented him. He was willing to pay 40 million to Santos and comply with everything we asked for. His father asked him for time because Neymar preferred Barca. They sent three managers, lawyers and were there for 20 days."

Ribeiro, however, stated that the Brazilian wanted to go to the Blaugrana instead. He said:

"But Neymar didn't want to go to Madrid, he wanted to play for Barca. Messi and Pique called him. He was close to Florentino and Madrid. Sandro Rossell, on the other hand, did not want me to participate in the negotiations with Barcelona."

He added:

"He left me aside and did not pay me a penny for the transfer of Neymar to Barca. They worked with André Cury, who approached Neymar's father. They played it on me. I didn't get anything with that transfer."