Neymar, Christophe Galtier, and Luis Campos under heavy scrutiny, says insider

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FBL-EUR-C1-PSG-TRAINING | ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/GettyImages

Football insider Jonathan Johnson discussed a few topics in his latest Mercato Magazine newsletter issue, including the current situation of multiple PSG personalities under fire such as Neymar, Christophe Galtier, and Luis Campos.

The journalist thinks it is a "make or break" time for a number of people at PSG, going on to name Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos in particular adding that his "understanding" is that the two personalities "come as something of a package," before stating that "if one of them is on the chopping block, so is the other one."

Johnson considers that "Campos’ forays into the dressing room suggest that the pressure is well and truly on," while also acknowledging that "if [Campos] is feeling the pressure, then the chances are Galtier is too."

It is known that PSG, namely president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, was the main factor on Paris Saint-Germain opting to bring the "Bling-Bling Era" to a close by appointing sporting advisor Luis Campos and a lesser-known coach in Christophe Galtier instead of chasing world-renowned and proven managers such as Zinedine Zidane. Turns out the decision back-fired big time.

Johnson also points out how PSG is entering a crucial weekend with a trip to Marseille followed by games against Nantes next weekend and the second leg of the Champions League last-16 against Bayern less than two weeks from now. According to Johnson, this is "not exactly a place you want to be going to when you’re out of form." PSG might top the Ligue 1 standings, but they already crashed out of the Coupe de France by losing an away game at Marseille (2-1) earlier this month.

Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos "come as a package," and they'll be handled as such by PSG

This situation, according to Johnson, "just ramps up the pressure", as "back-to-back defeats against their most bitter rivals would be unthinkable," and it "would certainly not help (relief) the pressure on Galtier and Campos."

Johnson, though, thinks that "it’s too early" to say "if PSG are lining up potential replacements" at this stage of the season and with the Ligue 1 championship and a deeper Champions League run still up in the air. Johnson considers "links with the likes of Zinedine Zidane make sense," and it's been reported a few days ago that the Emir of Qatar still dreams of landing the French tactician.

Johnson points out PSG were "interested to replace Mauricio Pochettino (with Zidane) before they went for Galtier," reasoning that "if PSG go out of the Champions League I’d imagine there’ll be a major review of both and ."

The journalist also reports that "a number of the club’s star players" are also under scrutiny and "won’t be safe," either. PSG were open to letting Neymar go last summer, and Johnson thinks "that would be the case again if a club were to come forward and pay a significant transfer fee, and, more importantly, take his considerable salary off their books."

Chelsea is reportedly tracking Neymar and already discussing a potential transfer with PSG, as we published a few days ago.

According to Johnson, though, "since Campos and Galtier came in at the Parc des Princes" it has been hard to find suitors for Neymar. The journo thinks that "injuries and mental problems since the World Cup" are making it hard for "the kind of offer that would be needed to part ways with Neymar" to arrive at PSG's offices. Johnson thinks that PSG, at least for the next few weeks and months, will be "stuck with him."

Finally, Johnson ends his report by saying that if PSG go out of the Champions League, having already gone out of the Coupe de France, he "doesn't think winning Ligue 1 will be seen as enough for Galtier and Campos, certainly when you’ve got a manager like Zinedine Zidane on the market."

That, of course, is linked to the extension of Didier Deschamps to manage the France international team until the end of the 2026 World Cup, closing Zidane the door to manage France until then with the multi-time Champions League winner eager to get back to coaching.