Cavani and Silva to leave Paris St Germain after Champions League campaign

Paris Saint-Germain's Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Caen (SMC) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), on September 16, 2016, at the Michel d'Ornano stadium in Caen, northwestern France. / AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU

Paris St Germain’s record goalscorer Edinson Cavani and captain Thiago Silva will leave the club after the conclusion of the Champions League campaign, the Ligue 1 side’s sporting director has said.

Both players’ contracts are due to expire in June and Leonardo told Le Journal du Dimanche that they would not be handed extensions.

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.

“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.”

Both players will be involved in the Champions League campaign, which is expected to be concluded in August.

PSG qualified for the quarter-finals after eliminating Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

After more than three months off during the COVID-19 crisis, the team will resume training on June 22, with Neymar expected to be on the ground after returning from Brazil on Saturday.

Leonardo said he expected the Brazil forward to be at the club next season.

“Nothing tells us otherwise,” said Leonardo when asked if Neymar and France striker Kylian Mbappe would still be there next season.

“They still have two years on their contracts and we’re more thinking about the future with them. We want to go forward.”

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 novel coronavirus.