Neymar contract talks take a back seat at Santos | OneFootball

Neymar’s contract renewal has taken a back seat in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship. President Marcelo Teixeira stated that there is no urgency to negotiate a new deal with the attacking midfielder. The priority is to keep the team out of the relegation zone.

“The focus today is on the Brazilian Championship. We have three finals. That’s our total focus. We don’t have that urgency for the renewal yet. The urgency right now is the Brazilian Championship,” said the president.

Neymar’s current contract with Santos is valid until December 31, 2025. The number 10 arrived at the end of January. Since then, he has played 25 matches, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.

The attacking midfielder risks missing the last three matches of the season due to a knee injury. He underwent tests and will speak with the medical department throughout Wednesday.

Could he leave?

Neymar’s high cost could put the renewal in doubt. The Fiscal Council has warned the board about the club’s high expenses.

“The recommendations presented by this Fiscal Council remain the same, based on the equalization of costs and expenses, which, despite increased revenues, are still very disparate. Management must take action so that the numbers do not stray from what was budgeted, considering that the budget was already prepared in a scenario that is not very favorable to our reality,” said the Council.

“We are aware that the Neymar Junior factor changes this scenario significantly, but it is essential to maintain austerity in containing new debts and renegotiating old ones, so that they do not increase substantially,” the body added.

Marcelo Teixeira, however, views the warning with calm.

“The recommendation from the fiscal council has been in place since last year, when Santos was in Serie B because the budget didn’t add up. The team was relegated. The recommendations continue to be made and followed by management. That’s the most important thing, to balance the accounts. We increased revenue, but expenses are still there, due to the club’s liabilities,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.