Hello there fellow Steemers,
My name is Gregory McLeod, new to Steem, and today I'm going to share my thoughts with you on the rumored move of Neymar to Paris St. Germain.
First off, we're one year removed from the ludicrous summer of 2016, which saw the €100m mark broken for a single player. Paul Pogba completed his move to Manchester United, and all you heard was "How in the world could you pay that much for one player?" Well, one year later and we're looking at a fee to more than double that record.
Alright. So. Who in the world would be worth almost a quarter billion Euros? The answer to that question is probably no one. But when it comes to football transfers, you're not just buying a player to play for your team. Especially when you're talking about a player like Neymar, you're buying so much more. When you bring a player like Neymar to a city like Paris, it would be a match made in heaven. Neymar, as you could probably imagine by his flashy behavior, loves to be the center of attention. The Paris project, going into its 6th year, just experienced a year without having a figurehead at the club. The first four years were highlighted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, iconic Swedish superstar. Zlatan did exactly what he was supposed to do in Paris, which was make the team more marketable. Zlatan went his own way after the 2015/2016 season, leaving Paris to figure out their own identity. Well, after a tumultuous 2016/2017 campaign, highlighted by the 4-0 Champions League Round of 16 victory over Barcelona, and plagued by the return leg of said fixture, a 6-1 drubbing to eliminate Paris from the round of 16, Paris is searching for their guy.
Enter the Neymar rumors (again). Last year, it was rumored until late into the summer that Neymar was interested in a transfer to Paris St. Germain. Long story short, it was also rumored this was just a ploy by Neymar to get a new contract, which he did receive. Fast forward to 2017, and here we are talking about Neymar to PSG again, only this time for the ridiculous fee of €222m.
Why do I think this is a good idea? Well, for one, you get one of the top 3 players in the world in their prime. Pretty much anyone who follows modern day football will tell you that you've got Messi, you've got Ronaldo, then you've got Neymar. Neymar is only 25, compared to his aging counterparts. The title of top player in the world is up for grabs in the next 2 or 3 years, and Neymar won't get the recognition he thinks he deserves by playing second fiddle to Messi for his whole career. Now, as much as that sounds like it wouldn't be such a bad gig, someone like Neymar wants to cement his legacy as an all time great, First things first, he needs to win a Ballon d'Or. Plain and simple, he'll never win it playing under Messi. Imagine if Neymar goes to Paris this year, and they finally make it over the quarterfinals hump of the Champions League? Imagine if something crazy happened, and they won it? Who could question spending the money on him after that? Him winning the Ballon d'Or is suddenly a no-brainer. Neymar is itching for the chance to show he can be "the guy".
Why would Neymar want to leave Barcelona, not only a storied club, but a damn good one at the moment as well? Well, when you think of Barcelona, the first image that pops into your head is going to be Messi. Rightly so, as Messi is probably the greatest player on the planet, and quite possible in the conversation for greatest of all time. Someone with as much talent as Neymar, you don't want to be on a club where you're not even the best player. When you're in the conversation for top 3 player in the world, you're going to want to be able to set yourself apart from those above you by challenging them for the Champions League.
Yes, the price. It would be crazy. Ridiculous. But guess what? That right there is the evolution of football. 18 year old Kylian Mbappe is being quoted around €160m. For an 18 year old. With one good season. If you look at it from this standpoint, Neymar is a bargain. Neymar is proven in La Liga, proven in the Champions League (21 goals, 15 assists since 2013/2014), and proven on the international level. You're not only getting an amazing footballer, but you're getting something to build around. You're getting something to market. Paris is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Europe. What happens when you have one of the most recognizable footballers in the capital? Answer, you're going to sell a whole lot of tickets. You're going to sell a whole lot of jerseys. You're going to gain so many fans, not only in Brazil, but in America, the Middle East, pretty much anywhere. You get someone like Neymar, and people are going to follow. He'd be the biggest story in football this year, partially because of his enormous price tag. But still, he's a story.
Now I know there are many different pieces that have to fit for this transfer to be real, but in the long run I think it would be good business for Paris and their Qatari backing to finalize this. You get something to build on, you get a fantastic foundation to plan the next 3 or 4 years around. I get it, €222m is a TON of money. To reiterate what I previously said, there is probably no one who is worth that amount.
As of right now, Barcelona can offer Neymar the chance to continue to play with Messi...
Paris can offer him the chance to be the next Messi.
Welcome to Football, where records are made to be broken, and new limits are made to be reached. Neymar coming to Paris would change the face of Paris St. Germian, and change the face of European football.
Sincerely,
A hopeful PSG fan.
