Jason Cundy has warned Chelsea against making a move for Neymar, saying he does not want the ‘overrated’ star anywhere near his club.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been subject of recent transfer speculation following ambiguous comments from club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi on his future.
In an interview last week with Le Parisien, Al-Khelaifi admitted sweeping changes were coming at the Parc des Princes and, when quizzed on Neymar’s PSG future, he failed to rule out an exit for the 30-year-old.
Chelsea defender and Neymar’s former PSG teammate Thiago Silva has already talked up a move to west London for the £200million man – who is an icon in his native Brazil and one of the most marketable names in football.
But Cundy does not share the same view and would prefer it if the Blues looked elsewhere for attacking reinforcements, insisting Neymar would not fit in Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Although, it appears his personal feelings about the superstar outweigh his football reasons for why he doesn’t want the move to happen.
“Well, you know my thoughts on Neymar, I think he’s overrated,” talkSPORT host and former Chelsea defender Cundy said on the Sports Bar.
“Good player, but overrated. It’s all about him. Eden Hazard was a team player.
“Neymar has been linked with Chelsea for a while, I’ve always said I wouldn’t want him near my club. I don’t think he’s the sort of player that Chelsea need.
“Is he a good player? Is he talented? Yes, I don’t doubt that for a second.
“But I would not want him near Chelsea.”
PSG shocked the footballing world when they landed Neymar for a world-record fee in August 2017.
Since then, PSG have failed to get their hands on the Champions League despite continued investments in big-name signings and, after their Round of 16 collapse against Real Madrid in March, Al-Khelaifi has decided to have a rethink about the club’s transfer strategy.
“Dreams are one thing, reality is another,” he said. “Perhaps we should change our slogan?
“Dream bigger is good, but today we must be realistic, we don’t want flashy, bling-bling anymore, it’s the end of the glitter.
“We want players who love the club, who love to fight, who love to win, and we want this mentality to spread throughout the club.”
Asked about Neymar’s future at PSG, Al-Khelaifi said: “What I can tell you is that we expect all the players to do much more than they did last season. Much more.”
Neymar’s reported £850,000-a-week wages continue to be a stumbling block for any club looking to acquire the Brazilian.
If made available, it is difficult to see the 30-year-old leaving PSG anytime soon if he wants to maintain his sky-high pay packet – and that’s before you consider his price tag.
Reports have claimed PSG will want around £190m [€220m] for the Brazilian if he is sold this summer, with Neymar’s contract – which currently runs until 2025 – set to be automatically extended to 2027 on July 1.
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