After just two years, has the time come for Neymar to say bon voyage to Paris? In the summer of 2017, the bombastic Brazilian was poised to become the best player in the world. The cranium-crushing near £200 million sum PSG’s Qatari benefactors paid to Barcelona to break up their fabled MSN trio single-handedly upended the entire transfer market. Despite the eye-watering sum however, it was hard to argue that Neymar wasn’t worth every petro-dollar – the football he was playing at the time was otherworldly. While Neymar was at Santos, Joey Barton once famously labelled him a “show pony”, even if that were the case back then (it wasn’t) there could be no doubt that, by the time he left Catalonia, the forward was every bit a thoroughbred.
The past two years, however, have surely been the most frustrating of his career. In the Champions League, injury prevented him from salvaging his side’s 2018 exit at the hands of Real Madrid. History repeated itself earlier this year, Neymar was absent as Solskjaer’s Man United sensationally embarrassed the French champions at Parc de Princes. Injuries have blighted Neymar on the international stage too, an ankle sprain this time causing him to miss this summer’s Copa America, a setback made all the more painful by the fact that Brazil themselves are the hosts.
Evidently, some aspects of Neymar’s shortcomings over the past two years have been outside his control; there are others, though, which are well within it. His flamboyant playing style is reflected in his life away from the pitch, the less than intensive standard in Ligue 1 lending itself very well to an active involvement in Parisian nightlife. More worrying is the incident in which he punched an opposition fan as he went to collect his runners up medal after the French Cup final, his three match European ban at the start of next season for his post-Champions League exit tirade against referees and, most significantly, the sexual assault allegation currently hanging over him.
It’s not that these factors have affected his ability however, merely his drive. At times, witnessing Neymar desecrating defenders in Ligue 1 has felt like watching Magnus Carlson play chess against a Love Island contestant: gratuitous, pointless and an immeasurable waste of talent. Surely, at the age of 27, Neymar must feel his time is running out to make his mark as one of the true footballing greats especially as a player who relies so heavily on his energy and quick feet, attributes which will decay with the years.
According to accounts of his laissez-faire attitude toward training in France too, Neymar shows no immediate signs of being diligent enough to adapt his game to suit older age. You’d guess, therefore, that he has a limited amount of time left if he is to do something remarkable, something that truly befits his genius.
What to do then? Stay in Paris and grapple for the starring role with an already dazzling Mbappe seven years his junior? Or, as the rumour has it, return to Barcelona and write Catalan folklore as part of Messi’s supporting cast? Surely the latter is the more conducive to the fulfilment of Neymar’s stratospheric potential. Messi will demand the spotlight less overtly than the young Frenchman and, with Frenkie De Jong already secured and Griezmann and De Ligt’s hearts apparently lying in Barcelona, Neymar would be wise to consider playing the role of returning prodigal son.
And – if the deal being touted is accurate, a swap plus cash affair involving Rakitic, Dembele and Umtiti going the other way – it might be the best outcome for all parties. PSG would get a readymade Neymar replacement in Dembele, an addition to their almost non-existent midfield in Rakitic, and an understudy for the aging Thiago Silva in Umtiti.
From a Barcelona perspective, Neymar remains close with Messi and Suarez, they still share a WhatsApp group in fact. And, of course, there would be an undeniable romance in the reuniting of one of the greatest strike forces in footballing history. Could they rekindle the same magic which conjured up 270 goals in 3 seasons for Barcelona? With Suarez in decline, who can say. But, in terms of diverting the pressure and limelight away from Leo Messi, it would be colossal – and that, for both Barcelona and an attention-craving Neymar, can only be a good thing.
Adam Williams - Portfolio 