PSG transfer news: Real Madrid's bid for Neymar, PSG eye next Neymar and more - June 9th, 2018
Real Madrid preparing £307 million bid for Neymar
According to various news outlets, Real Madrid are preparing an audacious bid of £307m in the hopes they can lure Neymar to the Bernabeú this summer.
He has a £263m release clause, which is only active after September 1 - when the summer transfer window closes. This was PSG's insurance policy to ensure he'd remain there for at least 18 months, worst case scenario.
The Sun, Eurosport and talkSPORT are all reporting that Real Madrid are unprepared to wait that long though and president Florentino Perez is prepared to sanction an offer over the odds to try and seal a deal in the coming months, should his desire to leave intensify.
The 26-year-old winger, currently on international duty with Brazil ahead of the World Cup - which starts next week - has endured a difficult twelve months, including a shock switch to Paris and a season-ending injury back in February, which could've easily ended his hopes of playing in the world's biggest football tournament this summer.
A handful of Real Madrid players and staff have already done their bit with regards to welcoming a player of Neymar's quality into their ranks. Luka Modric was full of praise following Croatia's friendly defeat by the South Americans last week - while fullback Marcelo revealed there's no reason why Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo could not work as a partnership at Real in future seasons to come.
How United beat PSG to Fred's signature
An important personal intervention from José Mourinho ensured PSG did not pip Manchester United to the signing of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred.
That's according to a report from Le 10 Sport via the Daily Star, who claim the Ligue 1 champions had offered £44m for the Brazilian's services at the end of May. Naturally United, who had been monitoring his progress regularly in recent months, felt the need to offer more (£52.75m) to see off the competition.
Mourinho heard about PSG's bid and immediately got onto the phone with Fred. According to the French publication, the United boss spent a long time talking to him, convincing him that Manchester was the right destination for the progression of his career.
Competition for places is increasingly high at a club like PSG and it's not a guarantee that Fred would be afforded those opportunities to shine - not least with new management in charge ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Fred underwent a medical at Carrington earlier this week and is expected to put pen to paper on a four-year deal, with an option for a further season in due course.
Real, Barcelona and PSG all want Santos wonderkid Rodrygo
PSG are set to battle with La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid for the services of Santos' highly-rated teenage forward Rodrygo. That's according to a recent report from ESPN, who also claim the Champions League winners are currently frontrunners for his signature.
Rodrygo, 18, has a €45m (£39.5m) release clause inserted in his existing Santos contract. Club president Jose Carlos Peres has said that despite receiving offers for their wonderkid, nothing has been finalised yet and the only way to complete a deal is to trigger his clause before continuing negotiations.
"There is no agreement for Rodrygo. We have various proposals, PSG, Madrid, Barca. They can bring the money of his clause or nothing else - that is the path we are on.
"They [the media] can talk about a billion euros if they want. Unfortunately, Rodrygo can leave for only 50 million [euros], a quantity which will allow Santos to breathe and have a stronger team. I am not saying he must be sold, only that there are offers. If clubs come and pay his clause, we are obliged to let him leave."
Update on Javier Pastore's future
Earlier this week, we covered the news that West Ham's interest in Javier Pastore is genuine and they are eager to complete a deal for the Argentinian midfielder.
Since then, there has been an update. According to reports in Italy via SportWitness, they have offered him a three-year deal worth €8.5m (£7.4m) per annum.
Pastore turns 29 later this month and is reaching the peak years of his professional career. Joao Mario's future is still uncertain, as Inter Milan are only prepared to listen to offers of a permanent deal - while new boss Manuel Pellegrini wants to improve the Hammers' midfield and has also been linked with a Yaya Touré reunion.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops, though it looks increasingly unlikely that Pastore will be a PSG player come their first league fixture against Caen on August 11.