Back on 8 July, Neymar's father told AS that his son had failed to show up for training with PSG because "he had requested permission from the club". A lot has happened since then - meetings with Leonardo, declarations from Barça about Neymar being desperate to leave, the China tour and the possibility he could end up at Real Madrid.

Neymar PSG

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Brazil

Neymar's father spoke to AS about how things stand today. "Because of an injury, my son's spent a while without playing football and he's been out of action since June but during that time he has developed internal strength to help him overcome his problems".

Injuries aside, Neymar's future remains unclear. Just when it seemed that Barcelona were the favourites to sign him, now it appears that Real Madrid could join the race. When asked about Neymar's options of returning to Barça or joining Madrid, Neymar Senior didn't want to be too secific about where he thinks his son might end up: "He'll be happy once he starts enjoying his football again".

Difficult year

It's a difficult moment for the Brazilian player who doesn't want to continue with PSG. He has also been the centre of problems off the field but his father believes all of that has made him stronger: "Life and football have taught him how to be a stronger person during moments of difficulty".

While he waits to see how his son's situation evolves, Neymar's father repeats that "He'll be back out on the field of play soon", but refrains from disclosing any further information. "As his father, it's a pleasure to see my son playing football. It makes me feel very proud. It won't be long now before he's back..."