French football 'needs' Neymar – federation chief

Paris (AFP) – French football “needs” Neymar, according to the country’s federation president Noel Le Graet, who said the Brazilian star “must stay” at Paris Saint-Germain.

“We need this image, he’s a fantastic footballer,” Le Graet told AFP Wednesday.

“He’s on a five-year contract. He must stay. PSG shows that it can attract the big stars.”

Neymar became the world’s most expensive footballer after his transfer to PSG last August from Barcelona for a whopping fee of 222 million euros ($264 million).

He won the French player of the year prize this season despite a foot injury meaning he has not featured for the Parisian club since the end of February.

There has been constant speculation that the 26-year-old’s stay in the French capital could be a short one, with Real Madrid linked to a move for the Brazilian.

PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has insisted, however, that he was “2,000 percent” sure Neymar would play at PSG next season, something the player himself has yet to confirm.