Neymar could be set for a sensational exit from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, if various media reports are to be believed.
Speculation regarding the Brazilian forward's future continues to create headlines. PSG are reportedly prepared to let the world's most expensive player leave as the French champions aim to overhaul their squad and build the team around Kylian Mbappe, who committed his future to the club having appeared set to leave for Real Madrid.
According to ESPN, Neymar's agent, Pini Zahavi, has been working to identify potential destinations for his client, although the 30-year-old's astronomical wages will pose a major obstacle for any interested clubs.
Neymar last year signed a new contract until 2025 and it is understood an extension clause was recently triggered that extends the deal to 2027. That contract is worth an astounding £785,000 ($950,200) per week, so even if Neymar was made another club's highest earner, he will likely need to take a significant pay cut.
So, which clubs could be in contention to sign Neymar this summer if the Brazil international does indeed leave PSG? Here are five potential destinations.
Chelsea
According to the ESPN report, contact has been made between Neymar's representatives and Chelsea to establish whether there could be an interest in signing the Brazilian.
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is keen to make some statement signings this summer, and Neymar would certainly fit the bill. The Blues struggled for regular goals from their attacking players last season, and with Romelu Lukaku returning on loan to Inter Milan, there is a void at Stamford Bridge for a top-class forward.
Neymar would be a better suited to Thomas Tuchel's fluid attacking front-three than Lukaku, and the pair have previously worked successfully together during Tuchel's time at PSG. In fact, Neymar is a big fan of the Chelsea manager, once saying: "Thomas Tuchel? I would give my life on the pitch for him. He is a truly brilliant man."
Of course, the player's wages and any transfer fee required for the move would be the biggest obstacle. Chelsea's highest-paid player is N'Golo Kante on £290,000 per week - around 37 per cent of Neymar's PSG contract - although the departure of Lukaku and his £325,000-a-week wages would alleviate some of the financial strain.
Manchester United
A club not afraid to pay premium wages, Manchester United would be one of the few potential suitors to have the financial power to offer Neymar a contract that would at least come somewhere close to his PSG deal.
Like Chelsea, United have also reportedly been approached by Neymar's team regarding a possible move this summer, and there is a need at Old Trafford to ease the goalscoring burden on 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whether there is significant interest on both sides remains to be seen. New United manager Erik ten Hag has made Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong and Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez his primary transfer targets, while Neymar would likely be more interested in joining a club involved in the Champions League and in a position to immediately contend for major trophies.
Manchester City
Another Premier League club reportedly sounded out by Team Neymar, City were linked with an approach for the Brazilian earlier this summer and could offer the trophy-challenging environment he would no doubt crave, not to mention an attractive financial package.
The arrival of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund diminishes the need for another central striker, although the impending exit of Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal and the constant speculation surrounding Raheem Sterling and a possible move to Chelsea could make Neymar a plausible target.
Barcelona
Should Neymar leave PSG, it is no secret that in a perfect world he would run back to Barcelona. Indeed, recent reports have claimed both Neymar and Barcelona manager Xavi - who played alongside the Brazilian at the Camp Nou for two seasons - are interested in making the move happen, five years after Neymar left for a world record €222m ($231.5m).
However, if the financials would be a stretch for other interested clubs, they would appear downright impossible for Barcelona, who are still contending with significant debts.
It would require a major rejig of the squad and even bigger balancing of the books - and Neymar accepting an enormous pay cut - but if there really is a will, perhaps there's a way.
Real Madrid
It may on the surface appear the most unlikely of outcomes, given Neymar's strong affiliation for Barcelona, but a move to Real Madrid could make plenty of sense.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has a penchant for making bold signings and the club have had no qualms recruiting players with a Barcelona history. Add to Real Madrid still smarting after failing to get a deal for Mbappe over the line - a deal Real were so confident in securing they refused to contend for Haaland's signature - and an approach for Neymar would very much be on brand for Perez.
Neymar would be wary of the backlash from Barca fans but if the money and opportunity are right, it could prove a difficult proposal to refuse, particularly if PSG are determined to offload him this summer.
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Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
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MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Honeymoonish
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
