Is Neymar Jr. Returning to Europe? The Curious Club That Could Launch a Bid for His Signing

The future of Neymar Jr. continues to be a topic that never stops being talked about. Despite the fact that the 33-year-old left winger renewed his contract with Santos until the end of this year 2025, apparently there are still clubs interested in launching an offensive for his services, even in this same summer market 2025/26.

Olympique de Marseille surprises with its alleged interest in Neymar

Recently, an unexpected name has been added to the list of teams that would be interested in signing the former FC Barcelona player. And, in context, regardless of whether anything can be decreed as impossible in the world of football, it seems to be a complicated move a priori.

According to the Argentine media TyC Sports, Olympique de Marseille, eternal rival of Paris Saint-Germain —club where Neymar lived an important stage in his professional career—, is among the favorites to try to make an offer for the player from Mogi das Cruzes in this summer transfer window.

A return to Europe to prepare for the 2026 World Cup?

An alternative that, beyond Ney's sporting past, could present itself as an attractive challenge for him. It would be his return to European football, ideal to get in shape for the 2026 World Cup. And what better way to do it than in a team that will play in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League and that promises to be one of the great entertainers of the domestic championship, trying to break the hegemony established by PSG in recent years.

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Ney's complex situation at Santos could lead to a change of scenery this summer

A departure that would also represent an escape route for a Neymar Jr. who is not having his best moment at Santos. The Peixe is currently in seventeenth position in the Brasileirao, being one of the combined teams that occupies relegation places.

A situation that has heated up the spirits of the Vila Belmiro fans, who do not seem to be very happy with the '10' due to his sporting performance, marked by injuries. In addition to showing an unbrilliant performance for what is expected of a player of his category: he has only accumulated four goals and three assists in 18 matches.

The revealing message from the Santos fans to their '10'

Likewise, the fans also give the feeling of being unhappy with him, as they expressed in a statement issued recently. In the text, a fragment can be read that says the following about Neymar:

"We address ourselves, first, to our idol Neymar. Idol, yes. You are the idol and we ask you to act like one. You said you felt offended by hearing a fan shout at you that you and your family are mercenaries, and you replied that you could be earning a lot more money elsewhere, something we know. Imagine a fan exhausted, with years of accumulated impotence, watching his team apathetic, again losing at home and in the relegation zone, having the chance to look his idol in the eye and implore him to make that unstable team play. Wouldn't you?", the letter read.

A complaint that, by the way, arises after the former Al Hilal player experienced a tense episode with a fan during the defeat against Inter de Porto Alegre (1-2). The fan demanded a little more responsibility from him, and the star accused him of insults towards his family. A chapter that shows how heated the relations between Neymar and the Santos fans are, who demand more from their idol.

Will both parties manage to make peace and start to mend the sporting path, or will Ney end up leaving the Peixe in a bad way as has happened with other teams? We'll have to see.

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