Will PSG sell Marco Verratti and Neymar next summer?

There is a growing feeling that the head honchos of PSG, those residing in both Paris and Qatar, are considering breaking up the MNM trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe as soon as next summer. Messi is out of contract, Neymar is a potentially sellable asset, and the latter could also foster the exit of another international and highly-coveted player in Marco Verratti.

The departure of Messi at the end of his contract on June 30 is already a done deal, pretty much. Even though he returned from a two-week ban in half that time after he shared a video apologizing for making an unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia, the truth is that PSG are ready to move on from the Argentine world champion.

Neymar, without doing anything wrong himself--other than playing subpar football after the World Club and getting injured for the remainder of the season--during the whole Messi saga, saw himself involved in the middle of it when some Ultras of PSG popped up in front of his home and started to call for a transfer of the Brazilian star away from Paris.

It is believed that Neymar is starting to favor the possibility of leaving PSG as soon as next summer, moving to another club away from the French capital. The PSG management sees the departure of Neymar as a way to achieve their long-term strategy of building the team around Mbappe, too, whose contract extension until 2025 is yet to be honored as it needs to be executed by both parties.

Even though he's missed ample time and he's been plagued by injuries and is currently recovering from ankle surgery, Neymar still sits in second place in the top-assister leaderboard in the Ligue 1 only behind Messi. Despite his injury, his value in the transfer market remains high, and Neymar is still seen as the most marketable player, especially in England, among PSG's expendable players (aka everyone not named Kylian Mbappe).

According to Le Parisien, the PSG management is reportedly open to various options for Neymar's departure, including a straight transfer and, most probably, a loan out of Paris with PSG covering part of his salary.

Neymar and Marco Verratti could be sold as part of PSG's retooling around Mbappe

Meanwhile, Marco Verratti's future at PSG is uncertain, as he has had a lackluster season and has been the subject of verbal attacks from the Collectif Ultras Paris supporters while putting on weekyl mediocre outings.

Despite signing a contract extension until 2026 earlier this season, the hierarchy of PSG is reportedly considering the departure of the Italian midfielder in the event of a substantial offer arriving in the Parisian offices next summer.

The main reason for the potential sale of one of the faces of PSG would be his high salary, although the influence he's lost on the pitch and among other teammates and his age could also impact the final decision.

In conclusion, the PSG management seems to be willing to make some tough decisions and shake up the team to achieve their long-term goals, all of them seemingly geared toward building a strong team around and led by Kylian Mbappe.

Diva players like Neymar and Verratti may be on their way out of the club, while the focus is on building a new team around Mbappe without having to deal with off-field drama on a daily basis, such as that recently caused by Lionel Messi--another former-PSG-player-to-be in the next few weeks.