The Brazilian star does not feel comfortable in Santos due to the team’s weak collective performance.
Olympique de Marseille has started talks to finalize an operation that will revolutionize French football: the signing of Neymar. The Brazilian star, who is determined to get back to his best form before the 2026 World Cup, has given the go-ahead to the possibility of wearing the Marseille shirt – in what will be an unexpected but ambitious return to European football.
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Unhappy in Santos
Since Santos’ return, Neymar has experienced a tame period. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding his return to his childhood club, the team’s lack of competitiveness and poor results have affected his motivation. His contract runs until 2025, but the desire to arrive at the World Cup in top form is now driving him to seek a more demanding environment. In this context, Marseille is emerging as an attractive and challenging option.
Marseille’s dream: Neymar as a career launcher
Marseille’s board is convinced that signing Neymar would be both a strategic and symbolic coup. Along with the efforts to secure the return of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the club is looking for players who can raise the team’s level and strengthen its ambitions both in Ligue 1 and in Europe.
But the transition will not be easy. It requires a significant investment, as well as physical guarantees and commitment from the player. But if the negotiations are successful, French football could witness one of the decade’s most controversial transfers: Neymar – once PSG’s idol – in the shirt of their arch-rival, with his eyes set on renewal and the World Cup.
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Marseille have set the machinery in motion, and for the first time in years, Neymar seems willing to listen.
