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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Alex Richards

PSG chief Leonardo confirms key duo will exit as club adopts firm Neymar stance

Paris Saint Germain's record goalscorer Edinson Cavani and captain Thiago Silva will both leave the club after the conclusion of the Champions League campaign.

The Ligue 1 champions' sporting director, Leonardo, confirmed the pair will exit on Saturday.

Both players' contracts are due to expire in June and Leonardo told Le Journal du Dimanche that neither player would be handed extensions.

Both will however play out the resumption of the Champions League in August - PSG are into the last eight having already defeated Borussia Dortmund in their last 16 tie - before departing.

Cavani, who joined PSG from Napoli in 2013, is the club's all-time top scorer with 200 goals in all competitions and has made over 300 appearances.

Silva joined from AC Milan in 2012 and has won 21 trophies during his time at the club.

Cavani will depart (AFP via Getty Images)

"It was a difficult decision to make, they are players who made their mark on the club's history," Leonardo said.

"We had to make a decision based on logic."

Mauro Icardi will replace Cavani at the front of the side's attack after his loan deal from Inter Milan was made permanent.

And PSG are monitoring Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly as a potential long-term replacement for Silva.

The PSG captain, Silva, will also depart (REUTERS)

PSG were crowned champions on April 30 when the league brought the season to an end as part of the country's efforts to contain the coronavirus.

They will resume training on June 22 after more than three months off, with Neymar having now returned to Paris after being in Brazil.

PSG remain unwilling to sell him to Barcelona at anything like a cut-price rate, as the Catalan giants continue to be linked with their former charge despite their own financial issues.

Neymar returned to France on Saturday (AFP via Getty Images)

Leonardo added that he expects the Brazil forward to be at the club next season and also French phenom Kylian Mbappe, linked with Real Madrid.

"Nothing tells us otherwise," said Leonardo when asked about the world's most expensive player and the World Cup winner.

"They still have two years on their contracts and we're more thinking about the future with them.

"We want to go forward."

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