Pros and cons of Neymar moving to PSG

It all seemed so rosy down there at Camp Nou till last season. A treble in Luis Enrique’s first year in charge and a double in the second. The best forward pairing in the world in the form of Messi, Suarez and Neymar, the mighty ‘MSN’. A brand of football as exquisite as it was effective. La Masia striving to produce the next Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. And last but not the least, their eternal rivals in Madrid forced to play second fiddle to the Catalan outfit.

But things have changed this season, and how. Real Madrid claimed the two biggest trophies this year while Barca had to make do with a Cup title. Madrid were widely proclaimed to have the best squad while Barca struggled with most of their new signings and substitutes. Madrid became the first club to win two consecutive Champions Leagues while Barcelona were knocked out in the quarter-finals again.

They were widely criticised for having no Plan B on most occasions, for compromising on the style of play and for not paying any heed to their La Masia talent. So much so that people are calling this the ‘the end of an era’. Lucho decided not to renew and now the reins are handed over to Valverde, who has his fair share of critics and doubters. And if this wasn’t worrisome enough for the Barcelona faithful, new reports of Neymar’s supposed departure are making them lose sleep.

Initially, it seemed to be a frivolous rumour, like the Ronaldo to PSG one, and was meant to fizzle out soon. But it seems to be gathering weight, with the Catalan news outlets corroborating the same. Below are a few factors that must be playing on his mind.

Reasons to join PSG

Is Messi too good to be dethroned?

Second fiddle to Messi at Barca

Messi, who is regarded as the best player at the club, will continue being their reigning king for a few more years to come. He will be the star man for the club hierarchy, the fans, and the team alike. He will be the poster boy of all their success stories and will be awarded maximum credit.

The Champions League return leg against PSG would have cemented this sentiment for Neymar – he was the best player on the field that night yet it was Messi’s legend which grew with that victory, not Neymar’s coming of age. Neymar must have realised that he will always be the in the shadow of the great man, and he can never win the Ballon d’Or if he isn’t even the best player in his team.

PSG, on the other hand, will lay down a diamond-studded red carpet for him and will give him all the attention, respect, and adulation that he must crave. It’s strange though that Messi was a big factor for him to choose Barcelona, and he may yet again be a big factor for him to leave now.

Financial lure of PSG

Messi has just signed a bumper contract with Barca. While Neymar is second on the list of highest paid, Messi is said to be taking home at least a double of what he makes. PSG will not only make Neymar the most expensive player in the world, they might also make him the highest paid player.

When Cristiano Ronaldo transferred for a then record fee to Read Madrid, he said that he loved the tag and the responsibility stature that came with it. Neymar might just be seeking the same to re-launch his bid to become the best. Then there is also the small factor of all the litigation pending against him in Spain, which are sure to have left a bad taste

Re-united with friends

Most of his Brazilian team-mates have left Barca and he doesn’t have too many close pals left in the dressing room. On the other hand, his best buddy Dani Alves has just joined PSG, and there are many such others at Paris. Given his social nature and outgoing personality, this may turn out to be a game-changer for PSG

His dad wants PSG

His father was the one who convinced him to join Barca over others like Madrid 4 years ago. And apparently, his father now wants him to move to PSG, because he wants him to become the best player in the world. Family pressure has influenced many young players’ decisions before. His Dad is his best friend and will have a big role to play in which team he represents next season.

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What he'd miss at PSG

It might all be a farce and Neymar could yet stay at Barcelona

Footballing stature of Barca and La Liga

In pure footballing terms, PSG are no match for Barca. PSG don’t sit at the big boys’ table yet and it will take them many years to build their legacy. Neymar might help them in doing so, but he will have to start from scratch. While in Barcelona he has the luxury to play with some who are already footballing legends.

Also, Ligue 1 is far less rated, attractive, renowned, and competitive than La Liga, something which he must be acutely aware of. He has a much better chance of winning a Champions League with Barca. So, if he is looking for a bigger or equal brand than Barcelona, then this is not the right move for him

Is he possibly trying to get a better deal?

We have been down this road before with him and numerous others. It may just be a tactic of scaring the hell out of the Barcelona Board and arm-twisting them to doling out a much heftier contract than the one he signed just a while ago. Which may be a reason he has maintained silence and is posting cryptic Instagram pics of him being in contemplation mode. Well he has surely gotten the Board’s full attention now.