Newcastle may find negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar straightforward, but a summer transfer for the 31-year-old would be very expensive according to French football expert Julien Laurens.

What's going on with Neymar?

The Brazil star has been the subject of abuse from PSG fans, who have called for him to leave the club, and the 31-year-old is now looking for a fresh start away from the French capital.

A recent report indicated that Newcastle's majority shareholders PIF were interested in a move for Neymar, in what would be a huge statement signing as the Magpies return to Europe for the first time in over ten years.

However, Laurens has revealed on ESPN FC (2.50) that whilst Neymar is now open to leaving, and PSG are keen to part ways with their £200m signing, his wages of around £955k-per-week would provide a stumbling block for anyone interested in a move.

"I'm waiting for a couple of confirmations about exactly what he wants to do in the future, but the thing that we're hearing now is that up to now, he didn't want to move but this summer feels a little bit different for him.

"We know that he's going to be a father again, his girlfriend is pregnant and he and he wants to not have an environment where he's not at peace, and having 50 ultras from PSG outside his house telling you to get out of your of their club is not nice. He's recovering from an injury this season and his time at PSG hasn't been all bad," he stated.

"We need to also give the fact of how much it would cost anyone, whether it's a Premier League club, whether it's a Spanish club, Brazil, whatever. Right now there will be a transfer fee to pay, although I think PSG will be very, very welcoming of a fee, so it will be easy to negotiate with PSG.

"They will even take a loan with an option to buy for example, right now he earns 40 million a year. Who can pay 40 million Euros a year to someone like Neymar? He's 31, he's just had an injury that kept him out of the game for five months. I don't know who can pay that apart from Premier League clubs."

Would Neymar fit Newcastle's project?

Although the PIF investment means that Newcastle could be one of the few clubs who can afford the winger right now, it remains to be seen whether it would be a good move for Eddie Howe's side.

The attacker has been injured for a lot of this season, but has still notched up 18 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions.

Newcastle now have Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes as key players in the squad, and Neymar could fit in well to this Brazilian cohort on Tyneside, but the club's focus may be on younger players.

A superstar signing like Neymar would be a big statement, but given the success the likes of Alexander Isak and Joe Willock have had, and could be in the long-run, a deal for Neymar may not provide as much long-term value as a younger signing would.