'Pay now or he comes back!' - PSG handed transfer ultimatum over Gabriel Moscardo as Corinthians president offers Chelsea hope deal can be resurrected

Corinthians new president, Augusto Melo, has gone on the attack as Paris Saint-Germain continue to delay the signing of midfielder Gabriel Moscardo.

The 18-year-old's transfer to the French capital has been held up by concerns surrounding a foot injury that may require surgery. But while PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is reticent to finalise a €20 million (£17m/$22m) deal for a player that is currently injured, Corinthians see no reason to postpone the deal and are demanding that the Parisians pay up, issuing an ultimatum that may usher Chelsea into the frame.

Speaking to the Domingol programme on CNN, Melo said: "I’ve told them [PSG] to send him back, if there’s a risk there, there’s a risk here. If there’s a chance we won’t get paid then let him recover here and we’ll be in a better position to sell him.

“This boy is a reality, he’s going to come back well and he’s going to be sold for much more than he is today.”

Moscardo is widely considered as one of South America's top emerging talents. The defensive midfielder broke into the Corinthians first team last summer, becoming a fixture in the side before his 18th birthday. His progress was a rare highlight in a miserable season for the club but inevitably his emergence caught the eye of recruitment departments from all over Europe before PSG appeared to have pipped Chelsea to his signature.

Melo's strong words put PSG in an awkward predicament and it will be fascinating to see if he follows up by pulling the plug on the multi-million pound deal and reopen the bidding for his top talent.