Neymar is without a doubt one of the premier soccer players on the planet. The 25-year-old Brazilian has shown that he has been able to live up to the hype that was bestowed upon him when he transferred from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona in 2013. But could he soon be on the move yet again, this time to a French powerhouse?
According to reports from Spain and Brazil, French club Paris Saint Germain is willing to pay a record $256.5 million (€222 million) transfer fee in order to sign Neymar. That fee would be more than double of the current record transfer fee; the $116.4 million fee paid by Manchester United in order to acquire Paul Pogba from Juventus last year. This comes in the aftermath of a report from Sport that reported that Neymar felt that his development is being stifled in Barcelona as a result of being behind Lionel Messi.
According to the report from Sport, Neymar wants to be on a team where he is the main star, and where he could potentially win the Ballon d'Or, the award given to the top player in the world. He reportedly doesn't feel like winning the Ballon d'Or is possible by playing alongside the Argentine great. PSG could potentially present that opportunity.
If Neymar were to make the move to PSG, he would be in line to earn roughly $35 million per year.
(PAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images)
Despite the report, Barcelona Vice President Jose Mestre said on Tuesday that he is "200 percent" sure that Neymar would be staying with Barcelona. In addition, in a report from Goal that conflicts with the report from Sport, Neymar states that he is happy at Barcelona.
"The last one was my best season in Barcelona. I am very adapted to the city, the club and I am happy here. That is reflected on the performance of an athlete," he said. He continued, "It was the season where I felt more comfortable, even though we did not win the titles we would have wanted. We played great games and lived incredible moments. Now, we need to work for the 2017-18 season so it will be even more positive individually and as a group."
Neymar scored just 13 goals in La Liga last year, his lowest goal total since the 2013-14 season. As is standard with any high profile athlete potentially making a move to another club, there are always conflicting reports. Only time will tell whether or not Neymar moves on from Barcelona.
