Tuchel: "Anything Can Happen" With Neymar
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel addressed transfer rumors surrounding Neymar, Ousmane Dembele and Keylor Navas
Thomas Tuchel has admitted he cannot be sure Neymar will remain a Paris Saint-Germain player when the transfer window closes.
The PSG boss said on Thursday he intends to continue overlooking the Brazil forward for selection until there is clarity about his future.
Neymar has been strongly linked with a return to LaLiga with his former club Barcelona, just two years after swapping clubs in a world-record €222million deal, while Real Madrid are also rumoured to hold an interest.
The 27-year-old returned to training earlier this month after recovering from an injury sustained prior to the Copa America, but he has yet to feature for his club in 2019-20 and will once again be left out against Metz on Friday.
"His situation has not changed since the Toulouse match," Tuchel said, when asked for an update on the long-running transfer saga at Thursday's news conference.
"All I can say is that I am calm, relaxed. The world of football can be crazy. Now is not the time to lose our heads. Anything could happen. Perhaps nothing will change.
"It is a bit late to impose a deadline. We will see on September 2."
The transfer window for major mainland European clubs remains open until Monday and a delegation from Barcelona was reportedly in Paris earlier this week to discuss a deal.
However, PSG are said to have rejected the Spanish champions' latest offer of €150m in instalments plus Ivan Rakitic and Ousmane Dembele, who Tuchel worked with at Borussia Dortmund.
"Dembele? We know each other. A lot of things are said," Tuchel told reporters.
"I will not speak about a player from another club. He is under contract. I will not be speaking about him today."
It could be a busy conclusion to the transfer window for PSG, with Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas being tipped to join.
"I cannot confirm anything," Tuchel said. "Alphonse Areola will be in goal against Metz. Marcin Bulka will be his number two."
PSG lost Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Abdou Diallo to injury in the 4-0 win against Toulouse last time out and are also still without Julian Draxler, Thilo Kehrer and Ander Herrera, meaning a recall to the squad for outcast forward Jese Rodriguez.
