As Lionel Messi's 'war' with Kylian Mbappe appears, Neymar is seen ignoring him.
Footage from a Paris Saint-Germain training session last season has emerged, revealing a moment of tension between superstar forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Following reports of a rift between the two, video footage has emerged of Kylian Mbappe appearing to ignore Neymar during a pre-season training session.
PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently called the Brazilian's future at the club into question, claiming that the club is "no longer counting" on him. Last month, Neymar's long-term PSG attacking partner Mbappe chose to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions.
Amongst the most notable aspects of Mbappe's new contract were reports that claimed Mbappe would have significant influence over the club's sporting decisions as part of his new contract. It has now been suggested that the striker's influence over the futures of club players may now have an impact on Neymar.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe and Lionel Messi were divided over Neymar's future, with Mbappe believing that the club should punish Neymar for his lack of discipline, while Messi believed that the Brazilian - his close friend - was too important for the club from a sporting and social standpoint.
The video, which was shot in February and was shared by Mundo Deportivo, shows Neymar awkwardly ignoring Mbappe during a training exercise at PSG where the two were supposed to carry out an exercise by holding each other. This pause disrupts team movement, necessitating the intervention of a training assistant to ensure that the exercise continues.
French daily newspaper According to L'Equipe, "they (Neymar and Mbappe) no longer have much in common, and the world champion (Mbappe) does not hesitate to make fun of his attacking partner in private." Mbappe would have nothing to complain about if Neymar left during the next transfer window, and his managers have been informed.
Neymar's situation is unusual in that a clause in his contract recently extended his stay in Paris until 2027. This is despite PSG boss Al-Khelaifi saying last month, when asked about the player's future in Paris: "Is Neymar a part of the new project? We can't talk about it in public because some players will arrive and some will leave the club. These are private discussions."
Neymar has managed to play in just 92 Ligue 1 matches in five seasons, and his standing in the dressing room has dwindled as a result of Mbappe's outperformance and Messi's arrival, as evidenced by the fact that he is now the club's third highest earner - despite still holding the record for the world's most expensive player, following his switch in 2017.
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