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Neymar has been assured he has a big part to play at Paris Saint-Germain under Christophe Galtier, but the new coach warned there will be action taken against any dissenters.
There has been recent speculation about Neymar’s future at PSG, with the French club reportedly open to selling him should an acceptable bid come along.
Chelsea have been linked with a possible move for the Brazilian, who cost the French giants a world-record sum when he arrived in 2017 from Barcelona.
Galtier was confirmed as the new head coach at Parc des Princes on Tuesday, taking over from Mauricio Pochettino.
It was inevitable Galtier would be asked about his plans for Neymar, given the scrutiny the 30-year-old has been coming under, and the former Nice and Lille boss made it clear he can be important in the club’s future.
“Which coach wouldn’t want to have a player like him in his team?” Galtier said “I have a very precise idea of what I will expect from Neymar.
“I will meet him, listen to him, but I want him to stay. For us, it’s always better to have a player of such class with us.”
Neymar made 22 Ligue 1 appearances last season, scoring 13 goals and adding six assists. It was the most games he has managed in a 38-game league campaign since joining PSG.
Galtier said he wanted his squad to consist of players “that want to win, that want success and want to enjoy football”.
“I am not going to perform a revolution in the dressing room,” he said. “I am here to listen and I know I have the support of everyone, from the board, to make decisions, and if any player, whoever it is, does not buy into the project there will be action taken.”
Galtier, a surprise Ligue 1 champion with Lille in 2020-21, is taking a step up by joining a team where the expectation is that domestic dominance will be secured.
PSG desperately want to add a Champions League title, too, and a failure in Europe would likely see Galtier come under pressure.
He has the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos and Marco Verratti at his disposal in a star-packed squad.
Sergio Ramos, the veteran former Real Madrid captain, will also be hoping to be more heavily involved during his second season at PSG after an injury-disrupted first campaign.
Galtier, who said he will take a “different approach” to his usual football style owing to the strengths of his squad, insists there must be unity within the group.
“It is a privilege to have a squad with world-class players,” he said. “Firstly, it is about speaking to them, and there won’t be any compromises in terms of our strength as a group and the targets that we have set out. We have to have a common project without any compromises.”
