Why Neymar would be the perfect signing for Paris Saint-Gemain
The French champions chased the Brazil star last summer and it is easy to see why they were so keen on the 24-year-old Barcelona ace
Since losing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer, Paris Saint-Germain have not looked the same force that they were with the Sweden forward. Of course, some of this is simply due to a team adapting to new coach Unai Emery’s style, but a portion of their struggles must be accounted for by the loss of their talisman.
No serious attempt was made to replace the 35-year-old attacker in the summer. Hatem Ben Arfa and Jese were never realistically going to become superstars in the centre-forward line, with the former added to provide flair from the periphery of the squad and the latter joining to give Emery another wide option.
Edinson Cavani has, therefore, been left as the sole centre forward in the team. When required in Ligue 1 he has performed, scoring eight times to date already this season, yet doubts linger over the Uruguayan’s capacity to shine in big games. He flopped against Arsenal in the Champions League and against Monaco in Ligue 1 (despite getting on the scoresheet), so PSG cannot risk him being their only option.
The long-term goal of the French side is to supplement him with Neymar, and the Brazilian would prove to be the ideal addition to their ranks.
Not only would the Barcelona star immediately bolster an attacking line that is light in numbers, he would be able to settle in rapidly as he would join a small colony of his countrymen in the capital – Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell, Lucas Moura and Brazil-born Thiago Motta.
Indeed, PSG is a club with a long history of helping Brazilians to outstanding success. Rai remains an icon of the Parc des Princes side nearly 20 years after he departed, while Ronaldinho famously thrilled the Parisian crowd for two seasons before moving to Barcelona.
If Neymar was to make the reverse move, he would fill the void for a headline-grabbing star in the PSG squad. The 24-year-old is used to such pressure, as he fields it each time he turns out for Brazil – and he has shown that he is capable of coping with it, too. He helped the Selecao to Olympic gold in 2016, while their disastrous performance at the 2014 World Cup only came after he had departed the competition through injury.
Capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, he has primarily featured from the left for Barca. That could suit PSG, who would use Angel Di Maria to come in off the right flank and continue with Cavani at the forefront of their attack. The unpredictable Lucas would likely be the player sacrificed.
Moving to Paris could also suit the player. Although he is clearly quite at home playing as part of the famous MSN trio, for the foreseeable future he will be in the shadow of Lionel Messi. A switch to France would provide him the opportunity to have a side built purely around him, in which he would be the undoubted figurehead.
The Sao Paulo-born player would also be a long-term solution in Paris, who would not doubt wish to keep him for long enough to become an icon of the QSI era in the same manner that Ibrahimovic managed.
Financially, PSG have the means to make this move happen, and the club also possesses the ambition. Their challenge, however, is persuading the attacker that life away from Camp Nou will be even better than it is now for him – something that will be no easy task. Nevertheless, overtures were made before last summer, so hope is still alive for Emery’s side.
