Real Madrid hopes of securing Neymar-Cristiano Ronaldo swap deal thwarted

Paris Saint Germain are confident they can retain Neymar beyond the end of his first season in the French capital amid reported interest from Real Madrid.

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claimed last month that Real president Florentino Perez is 'obsessed' with the idea of luring the Brazil international to the Bernabeu.

Such is Perez's desire to bring Neymar – who cost PSG a world record €222m (£198m) last summer according to BBC Sport – to Real that he is willing to offer Cristiano Ronaldo to the Ligue 1 leaders, the report states.

But PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told beIN Sports: "Of course, 100% Neymar will be a PSG player next year."

Perez inflamed relations between Real and PSG following those reports by claiming Neymar would have a better chance of winning the Ballon d'Or award – this year won by Ronaldo for a fifth time – if he applied his trade in the Spanish capital.

"Being at Madrid would make it easier [for Neymar] to win the Ballon d'Or. Madrid is a club that gives big players what they need. That's what I think. I don't know how many Ballon d'Or winners PSG have had. I think very few because PSG are a club which has grown a lot recently but all clubs have the right to want Ballon d'Or winners in their squad," Perez told Cadena Ser

Though Neymar's form has been exemplary since he left Barcelona for France, scoring 28 goals in as many games in all competitions, Catalan television station Beteve [via Eurorport] have reported he is unhappy and regrets leaving the Nou Camp.

Those suggestions were followed by reports from L'Equipe that Neymar became further disenchanted by life at PSG after he was jeered during the 8-0 demolition of Dijon, during which he scored four times and made two assists.

The latest speculation over Neymar's future comes amid Real's 3-1 Champions League win over PSG in the first leg of their last 16 tie at the Bernabeu on Wednesday (14 February).

Adrien Rabiot opened the scoring for the visitors but the holders staged a dramatic comeback as Ronaldo equalised on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot, before the Portugal international put Real ahead seven minutes from time.

Full-time Marcelo extended the 12-time winners' advantage heading into the second leg in three weeks time but Al-Khelaifi took exception to the result and the performance of referee Gianluca Rocchi.

"The result was not fair, we played better in the second half and we had chances to score," he added. "We made mistakes, [Kylian] Mbappe was called offside and he was not... I think the referee helped them [Madrid] tonight. It's going to be very hard for Madrid in Paris."