Karim Benzema has poured more fuel to the fire of the Neymar exit rumours as the Real Madrid foward as posted a photo of Instagram of himself with the Paris Saint-Germain star.
Reports have swirled suggesting the Brazil star is unhappy with his situation with the Ligue 1 champions following a second successive productive but injury-plagued season.
Those rumours were only heightened when PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi declared nobody had forced Neymar to sign with the club , while also saying he would not accept celebrity behaviour from any of the squad's players.
Goal has since reported Barcelona remain interested in a reunion with their former star, despite his insistence on a world-record €220 million (£195m/$260m) move to Paris in 2017.
However, for that reunion to occur, Neymar must undertake certain steps, including taking a salary cut, with the star’s wages currently only outpaced by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goal had also reported Real Madrid are monitoring the situation , with president Florentino Perez hopeful to secure the signature of a player he has long coveted.
And the Madrid president may well be pleased to see Neymar posing alongside the team’s current No.9 on social media.
Benzema posted the photo of himself and Neymar to his Instagram with the caption of: “Nueve / Neyney #Cracks”.
The photo is somewhat reminiscent of a photo Neymar took in 2017 alongside Gerard Pique, with the now infamous caption from the defender “he stays” , weeks before the attacker made his exit from Camp Nou.
Significant hurdles remain, however, for any move to Real Madrid, given the likely financial considerations of a Neymar deal, along with the large outlay the Liga giants have already spent this summer on the likes of Eden Hazard , Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy , along with their reported interest in Manchester United star Paul Pogba.
Madrid are already looking to cut ties with numerous players , including Isco and Gareth Bale, although the club are not willing to give their unwanted players away for less than their market value.
Benzema himself is no certainty to be at the club next season, with his name discussed in reports as possibly moving to PSG.
Neymar is currently recovering from an ankle injury which caused him to miss the Copa America, which is hosted this year by Brazil.
But even if the attacker is unable to make headlines on the field, it appears as though he remains adept at making news off it.
