'More advanced': Paris Saint-Germain sporting director admits talks on Neymar sale have stepped up

There appears to have been a potential breakthrough regarding Neymar's future with PSG, with the French club confirming that discussions about him leaving the club are at an advanced stage.

Neymar's future has been a source of almost constant speculation this summer with the world's most expensive player being linked with a La Liga return to former club Barcelona and, more recently, their chief rivals Real Madrid.

The Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy have remained relatively tight-lipped when it comes to the Brazilian player's future, even in spite of the player revealing that he expects his time in the French capital to come to an early end.

His suitors will have been galvanized by PSG's sporting director, former Brazil international Leonardo, announcing that talks regarding Neymar cutting short his stay with the French champions are progressing.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Parisian team's opening Ligue 1 fixture with Nimes on Sunday, Leonardo said that discussions were "more advanced than before," but added that the club is not yet ready to sanction the transfer of their prized asset. 

"We will see what happens – everybody needs the future to be defined," he added.

Neymar trained with the team on Saturday but has been ruled out of selection as he continues to chase full fitness following an injury which ruled him out of Brazil's victorious Copa America campaign.

Barcelona are thought to be considering a player(s)-plus-cash offer for Neymar, with Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo all thought to potentially be on the chopping block, but whispers regarding Real Madrid's interest in the player they have tracked since before his first move to Spain have been steady in recent days, suggesting serious interest from Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Neymar has had a stop-start pair of seasons in France, combining to score 51 goals in 58 appearances despite a series of injury woes and public inquisitions into his personal life after sexual assault allegations were levied against him several months ago, which have since been dropped.