Paris Saint-Germain could ask for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro in exchange for Neymar, it has been reported.
Los Blancos have already made five signings so far in the summer transfer window and will have a tough time balancing the books to avoid breaking any Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and regulations.
According to a report from Spanish based outlet MARCA, the Ligue 1 side has put their Brazilian star up for sale slapping a minimum of €220m, a price similar to what they paid to poach Neymar from Camp Nou back in the summer of 2017.
The former Barcelona star has had two unpleasant seasons at Parc des Princes. The Ligue 1 champions made back-to-back exits from the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage with the 27-year-old missing three of the four knock-out matches because of injury.
The Brazilian was also on the receiving end of some harsh words from the club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier in the week.
With so much going downhill at the French club, a move away for the PSG superstar remains a huge possibility this summer.
Good move for Real?
The Brazilian has been the backbone of the Galacticos midfield, which saw them lifting three back to back European titles from 2016 to 2018.
Casemiro saw his place endangered under ex-manager Santiago Solari but with Zinedine Zidane back at the helm of Los Blancos, Casemiro’s role would be pivotal in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era at Santiago Bernabeu.
Another player who challenged the Brazilian was Marcos Llorente who is on the cusp of joining Atletico Madrid. This leaves the French manager with only one reputed specialist defensive midfielder in the dressing room.
A Neymar-Casemiro exchange makes even less sense when one looks at the kind of signings Madrid has made since the last season saw its conclusion on June 1st.
Three of the five new arrivals in the Spanish capital are forwards which includes Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and another Brazilian in Rodrygo Goes. With so much traffic in the final third, a move for Neymar looks highly unlikely.
The departure of the 27-year-old midfielder would damage the club more than it could ever benefit from the arrival of the PSG star. Zidane will be wary of the threat it will pose to his side if the defensive shield in Casemiro is removed from the midfield.
While Neymar remains arguably among the top three players in the world, his recent antics both on and off the pitch hasn’t helped him one bit. It will be a big ‘NO’ to this deal from my side and having followed Zidane all these years, I don’t see it materialising at all let alone soon.