1.Neymar Jr left Barcelona in the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world record deal worth €222 million. It stunned the footballing world as Neymar decided to move out of the shadow of Lionel Messi.
Just months after the transfer, rumours began to surface that Neymar Jr had started to regret his PSG move. The Brazilian has emerged as Real Madrid’s priority transfer target after their poor start to the 2017/18 campaign.
The possibility of a Real Madrid move hinges on a lot of things, and without much ado, let’s take a look at the factors that will decide whether Neymar will make his dream move to Santiago Bernabeu.
Though Neymar is brilliant with his performances on the field for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 23 goals and 14 assists so far in all competitions, his on-field disputes and off-field issues do not seem to relent.
As early as September, there was an on-field dispute between Neymar and Cavani on who takes the penalties for PSG. It turned really ugly when Dani Alves got involved. Things seemed settled until another penalty issue came up.
Neymar was jeered by his own fans in their 7-0 win over Dijon when the Brazilian took the spot-kick, denying Edinson Cavani the opportunity to break Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s club record for most goals.
According to L’Equipe, those jeers provoked a reaction and a point of reflection among Neymar and his people. It looks a bit like they are regretting the decision to leave FC Barcelona.
Also, according to a Brazilian journalist, the Brazilian has spoken about regretting the move as he misses his wife and son, who are still in Barcelona, Spain.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, 32, is still the main man for Los Blancos, but the Portugal international is reaching the fag end of his career. Though he is still better than many world-class strikers, he cannot continue to hold the fort at Santigo Bernabeu for long.
The search for the next Galactico has already begun and Real Madrid know who are the possible candidates. According to various reports, Neymar Jr has been touted as the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.
The proposition of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid is something no footballer can deny and Neymar is no different. Spanish outlet Diario Gol has hinted that Neymar may have deliberately signed for PSG in order to broker a move to Real Madrid further down the line.
3. The Neymar to Real Madrid link is not something new. The Brazilian has been linked with Real Madrid for almost a decade. Perez is a fan of the Brazilian forward. Perez’s interest in Neymar is a not a secret and the Real Madrid president had tried to sign him on a couple of occasions in the past.
According to ESPN Brazil, Neymar travelled to Santiago Bernabeu in 2005 for a trial. The 13-year-old Neymar told the channel, “It seems the Real Madrid dream is a reality. I went to the game against Deportivo La Coruna. It was 4-0. I was in the VIP box, just below the president Florentino Perez.” However, his Real Madrid move did not materialize.
According to Perez, the Los Blancos tried to sign him again in 2011 and Neymar even completed medical with Real Madrid. But Real Madrid withdrew from the deal for unknown reasons. Neymar’s Galactico dream combined with Perez’s desire holds the key to his switch.
4. The deal depends on PSG’s willingness to sit at the negotiation table. There is no way Paris Saint-Germain will let go of their prized asset who is just twelve months into his contract in Paris.
However, their stance may change if the French giants win the UEFA Champions League title this season. They are all set to win the Ligue 1 title this season, are favourites in the cup competition and a UEFA Champions League win will complete their precious treble.
Qatar Sports Investments will find it hard to hold on to him once Neymar wins the Champions League. A Ballon d’Or with PSG will further enhance Real Madrid’s chance of landing the Brazilian international. Once he achieves everything in Paris, there is no stopping Neymar from doing what he wants.
5. Ligue One has struggled in the past to attract top quality players and is considered far less competitive compared to domestic leagues in England, Spain, and Italy. One or two teams usually dominate the French domestic league which has quite a few weaker teams.
It came as a surprise to many when Neymar decided to move to Paris Saint-Germain. PSG offered him a stunning contract and more importantly, the opportunity to come out of Messi’s shadow and be the player he always wanted to be. But how long can PSG and Ligue One keep him excited?
Neymar has single-handedly won a lot of games for PSG this season and more often than not, he did it with absolute ease.
In the 7-0 win against Dijon, Neymar dominated the game as if he was the only player on the pitch. He was involved in 5 PSG goals and remained unchallenged on several occasions during the game. A player of his calibre would love to play in demanding conditions and not many opponents can offer that in Ligue 1.
