“I think he was a little bit scared of Christophe Galtier, so decided to work very well” – Frank Leboeuf makes interesting claim about PSG superstar Neymar
Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has been impressed by Neymar Jr's performances for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the early stages of the new season. The forward has been absolutely brilliant for the Ligue 1 champions in the absence of Kylian Mbappe.
The Brazilian forward had an excellent pre-season tour of Japan and has carried his good form into the 2022-23 season. The forward scored a brace against Gamba Osaka in PSG's final pre-season game in Japan.
Neymar also scored a brace against Nantes in a 4-0 win in the Trophee des Champions on July 31.
However, his performance against Clermont Foot in the opening game of the new Ligue 1 campaign caught the eye of Frank Leboeuf.
The former FC Barcelona superstar scored once and secured a hat-trick of assists as the Parisian giants secured a 5-1 win over their opponents. Lionel Messi also scored a brace on that occasion, which included an overhead goal.
Leboeuf praised Neymar's performance after the game against Clermont. The former player-turned-pundit believes the arrival of new manager Christophe Galtier has played a new part in his revival in form.
Speaking to ESPN FC, Frank Leboeuf said:
“No, I was right last year, I was right. Maybe I might be wrong this season, if I say that he is bad. But I won’t because he's been absolutely fantastic for the pre-season and it's been very good tonight."
He added:
“So it's only fair to say that Neymar worked hard. Maybe I think he was a little bit scared of Christophe Galtier, so decided to work very well, physically. A technical player, if he worked physically, is at his top and it's what he showed today.”
Messi x Neymar - this partnership. 🔥 https://t.co/LAzZUmfHRh
It is worth mentioning that the Brazilian superstar had an injury-hit season for PSG last time around. He only managed to make 28 appearances for the French giants across all competitions but still contributed 13 goals and eight assists.
What is Neymar's contract situation at PSG at the moment?
Neymar has a contract with PSG until the summer of 2025. The 30-year-old forward penned a new four-year contract with the Ligue 1 giants last summer.
It is worth mentioning that there were rumors linking the Brazilian forward with a move away from the Parc des Princes this summer.
| Team of the Week
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🇫🇷 | Team of the Week
Our first TOTW of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign is here! ⬇️
PSG lead the way this week, as they’re the only team represented by three players in here, while their superstar duo of Lionel Messi and Neymar share our Player of the Week award! 🔟🤝🔟 https://t.co/zOUVpeeP0a
According to The Mirror, the forward reached out to Premier League giants Chelsea over a possible transfer last month. This move came after he learned that PSG could be open to offloading him in the transfer window.