Sept 15:Kylian Mbappe and Neymar watched on from the stands as Paris Saint-Germain prepared for their Champions League trip to Liverpool with an emphatic 4-0 win over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Friday.

Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani, Angel di Maria and youngster Moussa Diaby all found the net at the Parc des Princes to allow PSG to make it five wins from five games at the start of their defence of the French title.

It was a fine win for PSG, who have already scored 17 goals in the league this season, and Thomas Tuchel is the first coach to win his first five league games in charge of the club.

“We’ve won five times and that shows we still have a hunger to continue winning,” said Tuchel.

However, there is little doubt that PSG will face a far tougher examination at Anfield in their opening Champions League group outing than they did here against Saint-Etienne.

“I’m pleased also that we’ve played without having our heads turned by the game on Tuesday,” added PSG’s German coach.

“I’ve got ideas (as to his line-up) but I’m still reflecting on them. I’ll talk to the key players and I’ll be watching Liverpool’s game against Tottenham tomorrow and decide on Monday.”

Mbappe was absent as he began a three-match ban handed down following his red card in the win at Nimes just before the international break, and Neymar sat alongside him in the crowd, rested after playing for Brazil in a friendly in the United States in midweek.

Being without the two most expensive players in the world was not a problem for the reigning champions, with Tuchel able to give Draxler his first start of the season while midfielder Marco Verratti appeared in a Ligue 1 game for the first time since March.

There was also a debut for Spanish left-back Juan Bernat following his recent move from Bayern Munich, and while the visitors started well enough, PSG never looked back after taking the lead midway through the first half.

Verratti’s ball over the top found Draxler in the box, with the German midfielder controlling the ball with his head and then nodding it over Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

The Saint-Etienne players were wearing shirts carrying the name of William Gomis, a former youth player at the club who was shot dead in the south of France earlier this week.

PSG’s second goal arrived just after half-time, with Cavani converting a penalty, his third goal in as many games this season, after he had been chopped down in the box by Loic Perrin.

With PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, preferred to Gianluigi Buffon and fresh from winning his first two senior caps for France, a virtual spectator, the hosts went on to add two more goals late on.

Diaby, the 19-year-old who was sent on at the start of the second half in place of Lassana Diarra, helped set up Di Maria to lash a shot into the roof of the net for the third.

Then Diaby rounded off the scoring after Cavani’s swipe at a Draxler cutback had turned into an assist for the teenager.

Earlier on Friday, Nice shook off the absence of Mario Balotelli as they came from behind to beat Rennes 2-1 on the Cote d’Azur.

A Malang Sarr own goal had allowed Rennes to take the lead, but Allan Saint-Maximin equalised before Pierre Lees-Melou’s 89th-minute winner for Patrick Vieira’s side.

Lyon warm up for their Champions League trip to Manchester City next midweek by going to Caen on Saturday evening.

France’s other Champions League contenders are Monaco, who face in-form Toulouse away on Saturday night before hosting Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.AFP

PARIS, Aug 4: Six years after taking over perennial underachiever Paris Saint-Germain, the French club’s wealthy owners finally got what they wanted by hiring Neymar — a player they believe will bring them Champions League glory.

The Brazil star became the most expensive player in soccer history after completing his blockbuster transfer from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($262 million) on Thursday. By paying the release clause in his contract, PSG shattered the world transfer record to sign arguably one of the top three best attacking players in the game, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The previous transfer record had been set a year ago when Manchester United paid 105 million euros (then $116 million) to bring Paul Pogba back from Juventus.

Ironically, the 25-year-old Neymar signed a five-year contract with the French league side just five months after playing a decisive role as Barcelona produced a comeback that made Champions League history – at PSG’s expense.

Having lost their first leg match 4-0 in France, Barcelona was trailing 5-3 on aggregate in the 88th minute in Spain, only for Neymar to score twice in the final minutes before Sergi Roberto’s winner in added time sealed a humiliating exit from the Round of 16 for PSG.

Next season, it will be different.

“Paris Saint-Germain’s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings,” Neymar said in comments released by PSG. “I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge. From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.”

PSG would certainly welcome the kind of success that Neymar enjoyed in Spain.

In his four seasons there, Neymar scored 105 goals as Barcelona won the Champions League, Club World Cup, two Spanish league titles and Copa del Rey three times.

Now he will look to emerge from the shadow of five-time world player of the year Messi at Barcelona, becoming the biggest star in the French league in a team without the track record of success to match his former club.

While Barcelona has lifted the European Cup five times and won the FIFA Club World Cup three times, PSG is yet to win either prestigious competition.

Since Qatar Sports Investments took over the club in June 2011, PSG has spent several hundred million dollars on top-class players — including the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani — in its effort to build a team capable of winning Europe’s top club competition.

But the big names were not enough to bring success on the continental stage, and PSG has yet to make it through the quarterfinals of the Champions League under its Qatari owners.

Maybe that’s about to change.

“I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain,” Neymar said. “Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates, is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.”

It’s a mission that is clearly shared by the club’s top management.

“Neymar Jr is today one of the very best players in world football. His winning mentality, strength of character and sense of leadership have made him into a great player,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “He will bring a very positive energy to this club.

“In six years, we have built a very ambitious project that has already taken us to the highest level of national and European football. Today, with the arrival of Neymar Jr, I am convinced that we will come even closer, with the support of our faithful fans, to realizing our greatest dreams.”

PSG’s announcement put an end to a saga that started about two weeks ago with rumors of his possible transfer, though the club had already tried to lure him to the City of Light last summer.

Neymar is expected in Paris on Friday and will hold a news conference early in the afternoon, PSG said. He might make his debut on Saturday when PSG starts its new league campaign against promoted Amiens at the Parc des Princes.

Not surprisingly, his transfer has not gone down well in Spain.

In a statement, Barcelona said “the club will pass on to UEFA the details of the above operation so that they can determine the disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case.”

The comment followed a claim by Spanish league president Javier Tebas on Wednesday that Neymar’s move would break Financial Fair Play rules introduced by UEFA, European soccer’s ruling body.

Barcelona did all it could to stop Neymar from leaving, and had vowed to complain to UEFA if his seemingly untouchable release clause was triggered.

The payment of the release clause was the second attempt Neymar’s representatives had made on Thursday to break his bond with Barcelona. Earlier in the day, his lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo had tried to deposit the enormous sum at the Spanish league’s offices in Madrid, but he was turned away.

Tebas had told Spanish sports daily AS that he wouldn’t let the league act as an intermediary to an operation that he, like Barcelona, believed violated UEFA’s FFP rules. He had called PSG a “state-supported club.” The club’s Qatari owners are closely linked to the energy-rich ruling family.-AP

SANT JOAN DESPI, Aug 2: Neymar has told Barcelona that he plans to leave the club, with a blockbuster move to Paris Saint-Germain seemingly imminent.

The club said Wednesday that the Brazil striker told his teammates “that he had the intention of leaving the club and seeking his future elsewhere, and the coach has given him permission to leave training.”

PSG is rumored to be ready to pay his release clause of 222 million euros ($262 million). That would dwarf the 105 million euros (then $116 million) that Manchester United paid for France midfielder Paul Pogba last year.

Barcelona said Neymar did not specify where he wants to play next, but the only club speculated to be after him — and one of few which could handle the cost of the transfer — is the Qatari-owned PSG.

PSG did not answer messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Barcelona said Neymar left the training ground 30 minutes after arriving on Wednesday. He had arrived to Spain on Tuesday night after holding publicity events for both his personal brand and Barcelona in China.

Last year, Neymar signed a new contract with Barcelona that tied him to the Catalan club through 2021.

Both Barcelona club president Josep Bartomeu and Spanish league president Javier Tebas have said they will consider filing a complaint to UEFA if they think the PSG transfer violates financial fair play rules.

With his lightning-quick feet, creative instincts and scoring touch, Neymar helped maintain Barcelona as one of the top clubs in Europe for the past four seasons as he blossomed into a worldwide star.

He teamed up with Lionel Messi and Luis Saurez to make an almost unstoppable attack. Neymar scored 105 goals — some of them true gems — and was a key playmaker for Barcelona as it won a Champions League, two Spanish leagues, three Copa del Reys, one Club World Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups.

Yet, even before this drawn-out saga, Neymar also provided more than one headache for his club.

His transfer from Brazilian club Santos in 2013 became the source of a legal dispute that has dogged Barcelona even since. Barcelona said at the time that his transfer cost 57 million euros, while an investigative judge says that the real cost was at least 83.3 million euros.

Now Bartomeu and predecessor Sandro Rosell, who resigned as president of the club amid the transfer scandal, are facing trial on charges of fraudulent administration.

Neymar has also mixed his flair for fancy goals with bouts of immaturity on the field, often needlessly taunting defenders and trying to upstage them with his dribbling skills.

But nobody doubts Neymar is one of the greatest talents of his generation.

PSG saw it first-hand in last season’s Champions League. In his most memorable performance at Camp Nou, Neymar scored two goals and set up two more to lead Barcelona to a 6-1 rout to overturn PSG’s 4-0 first-leg win in the last 16.

Unless PSG gets last-second jitters, Neymar will take over a team that is searching for a leader who can achieve elusive Champions League success.-AP

PARIS, Jul 22: Neymar’s decision to post a photo of himself in thoughtful contemplation sparked a fresh wave of speculation that he is on the verge of sealing a world record 222-million-euro ( 256.8 million) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Instagram picture, even accompanied by a matching emoji, shows the 25-year-old Brazilian superstar stretched out on the pitch with his chin resting on his left hand.

It garnered more than 1.5 million ‘likes’ within 12 hours of it being posted in the United States where Barcelona are on a pre-season tour.

Three of the ‘likes’ came from PSG players — winger Angel Di Maria, goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and midfielder Marco Verratti.

On Tuesday, PSG skipper — and fellow Brazilian — Thiago Silva gave a digital thumbs up to a mocked-up photo montage published by media company Esporte Interativo showing Neymar in a PSG shirt along with compatriots and prospective teammates in France.

Esporte Interativo used the montage to illustrate what they insist is an agreement reached for Neymar to move to the French capital from Barcelona where he has played since 2013.

Like Barcelona, PSG are also touring the United States where Neymar’s future has dominated conversation.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde described the ongoing saga as a “time of rumors”.

“We understand it’s how it is. He is with us right now, one of us,” said Valverde in East Rutherford where his team plays Juventus in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

“He’s a player we love and we want. Not only football wise, but also for the things he brings to the locker room.

“There’s no need to worry about something we don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. If it happens in the future, we’ll see.”

PSG skipper Thiago Silva told Le Parisien newspaper he had no idea if the Brazilian star was about to switch to the French capital.

“I don’t know. I hear a lot from journalists and a player like Neymar would be an interesting addition to the PSG project,” said Thiago, speaking in Florida.

“But, for the moment, it is especially important to prepare for the new season. After and if Neymar arrives it would be a good thing for the squad.”

Is Neymar going to sign? “Not yet,” smiled the captain.

‘THE FUTURE OF THE CLUB’
In Spain, it was reported by Catalan media group RAC 1 that “certain players” at Barcelona have already tried to convince Neymar not to accept the PSG offer which would dwarf the 105 million euros Manchester United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba.

Javier Mascherano said Neymar was “the future” of Barcelona as the Argentine pleaded with the striker to stay put.

“In the case of Ney, obviously he is young, and I hope he’s here with Barcelona for many more years,” Mascherano told American sports network ESPN.

“He is a really important player for the club. Because of his age, he’s the future of the club, and we hope we can keep on counting on him.”

However, it’s believed the Brazilian is being seduced by the immense wealth on offer to him from the Qatari owners of PSG and by the opportunity to have a team built around him.

The daily Sport newspaper also claimed that Luis Suarez has also attempted to persuade Neymar not to split up the MSN frontline at Barcelona made up of Lionel Messi, Suarez and the Brazilian star.

Catalunya Radio said that the deal is “95 percent complete”.

One of the keys would be the payment to Neymar’s father and agent of a “premium exceeding the 40 million” paid when the player controversially moved to Spain from Santos.

Other reports have claimed that Neymar senior has recently met with, or is about to meet, PSG sporting director Antero Henrique.

However, Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre insisted Tuesday that it is “200 percent” certain that Neymar will stay at the club.

In a public game of tit-for-tat pronouncements, PSG coach Unai Emery hailed the Brazilian.

“Neymar has advanced his game massively and today he is one of the five best in the world,” said Emery.

“Our president is working hard to attract top players and our fans would be content to count on a new top player to go along with the talent we already have.”

Neymar, meanwhile, will display his coveted skills for the first time this summer when Barcelona face Juventus in New Jersey on Saturday.-AFP