The Brazilian could leave Parc des Princes at the end of the season. But where to? GOAL ranks the options for superstar Neymar.
Two weeks ago, Neymar had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher in Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 game against Lille. It was his fourth ankle injury in four years. And it felt like the end of his journey in the PSG shirt.
The striker is a brilliant footballer, a world-class showman and one of the best players to ever take the field. But for PSG he is also a kind of liability. He’s not helping his side improve and his behavior off the pitch is a major annoyance for the Ligue 1 leaders.
Everything points to an exit in the summer. The player needs a fresh start and the club might be better off without him. Of course, it’s not easy to part with a footballer of his caliber. But at 31, Neymar is nearing the end of his prime, with two years left on his contract and earning €1m a week.
He also doesn’t have a release clause, meaning PSG can set the price themselves. And the French are unlikely to let such a valuable player go at a cheap price. However, under the right circumstances, anything is possible. And whichever team gets him, they still get a lot.
Neymar’s talent is second to none, he’s also a proven winner. And he would bring in a lot of money off the green field too, because his signing would certainly boost shirt sales and matchday earnings.
But of course there are also some problems.
Neymar is – as mentioned – injury prone, occasionally problematic in the dressing room and remarkably selfish. It would be extremely difficult to fit him into a system. But that doesn’t mean some big clubs wouldn’t try.
So who could get him? And why? GOAL lists Neymar’s possible targets.