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There is absolutely no way any football fan could have escaped from the clutches of the transfer saga involving Neymar. The 27-year-old Brazillian was extremely close to reuniting with his close friends and former teammates, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Unfortunately, the deal collapsed at the eleventh hour, much to his devastation. Barcelona's officials couldn't agree a deal with Paris Saint Germain and refused to give in to the French side's astronomical demands.
Was there any point in this unnecessary drama?
If you look at it from a broader picture, you'll realize that there aren't many reasons to justify Barcelona's pursuit of Neymar. After all, he left for Paris only two years ago in order to carve his own niche and emerge from the shadows of Messi.
Moreover, there is very little sense in sacrificing a 21-year-old Ousmane Dembele in the dramatic deal. The Frenchman has been impressive for Barcelona and is yet to hit his prime. The problem with the sale is that both Neymar and Dembele have suffered several injuries over the last two years. Thus, there is no guarantee that this wouldn't hurt the parties involved, in the future.
While Barca tried to offload a relatively younger player who wasn't interested in reuniting with Thomas Tuchel at Paris, Neymar showed desperation to return. He was willing to go as far as paying a part of the transfer fee, a proposal PSG immediately rejected.
A story with too many unreasonable sub-plots for Barcelona
Apart from Dembele, the PSG board, led by Sporting Director, Leonardo, wanted Ivan Rakitic and Jean-Clair Todibo plus cash. Now, at an immediate glance, anyone would say that this deal was never going to be accepted by the Spanish side.
Despite several news outlets reporting that an agreement was close, it made no sense for the Blaugrana to give three players in addition to a hefty fee for Neymar.
The Brazillian may be an extraordinary talent with the capabilities of helping Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League. However, the price that they were being asked to pay to acquire his services was beyond comprehension, even after taking into consideration the incredible nature of the transfer market nowadays.
Media: The ultimate winner amidst all the chaos
Ever since the inception of Neymar's transfer saga, news outlets across the globe have been extremely lively. With continuous twists, rumors, and drama, everybody was kept busy. But, was there any point in all that unfolded?
Fans of both clubs were forced to go through a series of melodramatic days where they waited for concrete news to arrive. While many were desperately waiting for Neymar to return, another set felt that his acquisition wasn't necessary.
Therefore, it seemed illogical to make yet another big-money move, especially after the drama that had panned out when the club signed Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid.
In the end, we were all made to wait over the La Liga outfit's improbable adventure to make Neymar's return a reality. The entire procedure was a complete waste of time for all those involved. And most importantly, it was a frustrating experience for both sets of fans.
For now though, we can all take a deep breath and celebrate the fact that the transfer drama has finally come to an end, rather focussing on issues that matter.
