Neymar: "Jadon is a player that I really like to watch play and he is a great player with plenty of quality"
Friday 14 February 2020 17:34, UK
Neymar says Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho is a "special player" and revealed that he "really likes" watching him play.
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar admitted that he is looking forward to facing Sancho, regarded as one of the hottest young talents in Europe, when PSG travel to Dortmund on Tuesday.
Ahead of the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie, Neymar lauded the 19-year-old, who has registered 12 goals and 13 assists in just 19 league appearances this season and has attracted interest from a host of top clubs.
"Without any doubts it will be a great game for those who love football," Neymar said, speaking ahead of PSG's trip to Dortmund. "We are two teams who like to attack, two teams who qualify thanks to the players.
"Borussia have players that can make the difference. Jadon is a player that I really like to watch play and he is a great player with plenty of quality.
"Borussia Dortmund is a team with plenty of quality players. They have a special player, who is new but who is very good whose name is Sancho.
"He is a good player. We all know how difficult it will be for us here at Dortmund. We are hoping to play a good game to get a good result back to Paris."
Premier League sides Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are all interested in signing Sancho this summer while Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also entered the race for his signature.
Dortmund will demand at least £100m for Sancho, although at this stage no club is favourite to sign him, with Sancho wanting to play in the Champions League, and could yet decide to stay at his current club.
Sancho, who turns 20 next month, has become a full England international since joining Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017.
City have the option to match any bid for Sancho as part of an agreement, meaning the Bundesliga side have to keep them informed if another club comes in.
Meanwhile, PSG head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed Neymar will undergo a late fitness test ahead of Saturday's Ligue 1 match against Amiens.
Neymar has been absent since picking up a rib injury in the 5-0 victory over Montpellier on February 1.
"For Neymar, we have to decide with the doctor after the test," head coach Tuchel said.
"Whether he plays tomorrow or not, he will be in Dortmund for sure, but maybe not at his best like he was two weeks ago.
"But I am convinced he will help us and with this game we will keep going, and we hope he will be uninjured and be able to play a few games in a row until the end of the season."
Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol...
The first thing is, is any club going to offer the kind of money for Sancho that will tempt Dortmund to sell him?
The second factor is footballing reasons. He is not going to leave Dortmund unless he goes into an environment in which he thinks he can develop, and that means really he has to have Champions League football.
But at the moment, there is not a club that is favourite to sign him. His own mind is totally on Dortmund and England in the summer, so his focus at the moment is not on transfers.
We all know he's going to be one of the hottest properties in the transfer window this summer and there are lots of clubs interested in signing him.
But don't rule out Sancho staying at Dortmund because he has a lot of what he wants at the club. They are a fantastic club, they have massive support and are competing in the Champions League and for the Bundesliga title.
So there is no problem at all with him staying there - but I think it's looking likely he will leave in the summer.
Sky Sports' Nick Wright...
Jadon Sancho's decision to walk out on Manchester City aged 17 was seen as a gamble, but it has paid off emphatically. At Borussia Dortmund, he has emerged as arguably the most exciting young player in Europe, scoring 28 goals in 72 appearances since the start of last season and breaking into Gareth Southgate's England side too.
His progress has accelerated this season, with 12 goals and 13 assists in just 19 league appearances giving him a combined total equal to Lionel Messi and second only to a handful of players across the continent. There have been a further two goals and two assists in a Champions League group containing Barcelona and Inter Milan.
It is little wonder that Manchester United are eager to sign him and they are unlikely to be the only ones. The opportunity to recruit this teenage phenomenon is one that Europe's biggest clubs will be reluctant to pass up.
You can read more analysis on Sancho's situation at Dortmund here from German football expert Raphael Honigstein, who was talking to the Transfer Talk Podcast.
