Neymar’s decision to post a photograph of himself in thoughtful contemplation sparked a fresh wave of speculation that he is on the verge of sealing a world-record 222 million euro (US$256.8 million) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Instagram picture, accompanied by a matching emoji, showed the 25-year-old Brazilian superstar stretched out on the pitch with his chin resting on his left hand.
It garnered more than 1.5 million “likes” within 12 hours of it being posted in the US, where Barcelona are on a pre-season tour.
Photo: AP
Three of the likes came from PSG players — winger Angel Di Maria, goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and midfielder Marco Verratti.
French newspaper Le Parisien on Friday fueled speculation with an unsourced report that Neymar had told several Barcelona teammates of his intentions to join PSG, adding that the transfer is considered a done deal by some Barcelona players.
That echoes media company Esporte Interativo’s insistence that an agreement has been reached for Neymar to move to the French capital from Barcelona, where he has played since 2013.
On Tuesday, PSG skipper and fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva gave a digital thumbs up to a mocked-up photo montage published by TV channel Esporte Interativo showing Neymar in a PSG shirt along with compatriots and prospective teammates in France.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde described the ongoing saga as a “time of rumors.”
“We understand it’s how it is. He is with us right now, one of us,” said Valverde in East Rutherford, where his team were to play Juventus in a pre-season friendly yesterday.
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