Seven years after considered one of soccer’s most impactful transfers, Neymar Jr.‘s father and agent, referred to as “O Pai,” has revealed the explanations behind his son’s controversial transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The 2017 switch, costing PSG a record-breaking €222 million to activate Neymar’s launch clause, stays one of the vital costly and debated offers in soccer historical past.
In a latest interview on the Brazilian podcast Jota Jota, O Pai make clear the decision-making course of. He revealed that Neymar initially harbored a powerful want to play for Barcelona, regardless of receiving considerably bigger provides from different golf equipment. “Signing for Barça was solely his determination,” O Pai said.
“I had provides from each Barça and Actual Madrid. The Madrid supply was 3 times larger, however he mentioned no; he needed to play with these guys, with Suárez and Messi. His dream was to play for Barça.”
This determination led to Neymar becoming a member of the famed “MSN” attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez—one of the vital feared ahead traces in soccer historical past. Between 2013 and 2017, Neymar scored 105 targets and offered 76 assists for Barcelona, enjoying a pivotal position in securing 9 main titles, together with the 2015 treble. Nevertheless, this extremely profitable interval ended abruptly and unexpectedly.
The explanations behind the PSG transfer: A query of management
Rumors surrounding Neymar’s position inside the staff in the end led to his departure. In keeping with O Pai, the state of affairs at Barcelona deteriorated as a result of uncertainty about Neymar’s place and Messi’s management. “Going to PSG was additionally his determination,” O Pai defined.
“He determined to alter. At the moment, we had been in a really tough state of affairs at Barça as a result of we didn’t know what the sporting route was pondering. It appeared just like the membership needed him to take Messi’s place, and he didn’t need that. He determined to depart, to go elsewhere. I needed my son to remain at Barça; till the final days, we tried to forestall him from leaving, however he left as a result of he didn’t wish to take Messi’s place and be the most important star at Barça.”
Neymar’s departure proved to be a big setback for each Barcelona and the participant himself. Whereas Barcelona struggled to search out enough replacements, with gamers like Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé failing to copy Neymar’s impression, Neymar himself hasn’t fairly reached the identical heights in Paris, regardless of profitable home titles and producing some standout performances.
The costliest switch in historical past
Neymar’s switch to PSG stays the costliest in soccer historical past. The €222 million price considerably surpasses different record-breaking transfers, together with Kylian Mbappé (€180 million from Monaco to PSG) and Coutinho and Dembélé’s strikes to Barcelona (€135 million every). Moisés Caicedo’s latest transfer to Chelsea for €133 million completes the checklist of the 5 most costly transfers in soccer historical past.
O Pai’s revelations supply a brand new perspective on considered one of soccer’s most important transfers, revealing the underlying components that led to Neymar’s departure from Barcelona and his subsequent transfer to PSG. The choice, pushed by Neymar’s want to forge his personal path reasonably than merely fill Messi’s footwear, highlights the complicated dynamics inside elite soccer golf equipment.
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