Red Bulls ‘unlikely’ to pursue PSG star Neymar if he eyes MLS
Should soccer superstar Neymar give consideration to a move to the MLS, the New York Red Bulls wouldn’t be interested in pursuing the Brazilian.
The Paris Saint-Germain star informed the club that he wanted to leave this summer, with his heart set on returning to Barcelona, the club he left in 2017, according to French outlet L’Equipe.
Soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano reported that there was “concrete interest” from Major League Soccer to try and sway him to the United States.
However, it doesn’t seem likely the Red Bulls would throw their hat in the ring if that were the case.
The club is “unlikely” to engage in a pursuit of the 31-year-old forward, a source told amNewYork.
A team spokesman said that he could not comment on rumors, when reached by The Post.
The Red Bulls are in the midst of a tough year that has them sitting in 11th in the Eastern Conference with just six wins to their name.
The club did advance to the Round of 16 in this year’s Leagues Cup tournament, but it has struggled on offense during the regular season.
While seeing Neymar stateside would have once seemed like a farfetched idea, Lionel Messi’s decision to sign with Inter Miami has seemed to give MLS a bit more credibility on soccer’s world stage.
Los Angeles FC is considered to be one of the favorites for Neymar should a move to the US become enticing enough.
Red Bulls-rival NYCFC had also been linked to Neymar last month by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo.
Still, the focus for the Brazilian is to find a way back to his former soccer home in La Liga. PSG has given the green light for Neymar to try and secure a deal with his former club, but Barcelona’s financial issues makes any deal a bit tricky.
There were said to be similar financial issues for Messi, who had tried to return to the famed Spanish club before joining MLS.
One option to get around the financial situation would be for Neymar’s contract to be bought by a Saudi club and then be loaned to Barcelona, according to SPORT.
However, if that doesn’t happen, MLS could be in line for its second coup of the summer.