The tale of Brazilian boy-star Neymar should have followed the motif of a player superlative to his peers of the time-one filled with an enviable trophy cabinet and possibly a Ballon d’Or, the trophy the most exciting Samba prospect of the 2000s seemed destined to get his hands on one day but never came to fruition.
Touted as the heir to the imperious Brazilian tradition of footballing genius by the King, Pele, himself, the kid from Santos always stood out ever since he was a scrawny little lad dazzling the streets and fields of the South American nation renowned for giving the world some of the most gifted footballers.
His monumental foray into European mainstream football with his switch to Catalan giants Barcelona promised to be the rightful route for the Brazilian to superstardom and what seemed like a place in the upper echelons of football folklore in the Spanish region.
The dream-like opportunity to play alongside Barcelona’s very own genius Lionel Messi and arguably one of the most gifted strikers of recent decades in Luis Suarez, forming an attacking trident that brought the entire continent to its knees.
The accolades followed inevitably, and the Barcelona side which boasted of the famous ‘MSN’ forward line got its hands on a plethora of trophies including the La Liga title, UEFA Champions League, Copa Del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Barcelona had done their fair share to keep the notorious superstar happy with outrageous clauses in his contract that entitled flights and services for his entourage and permits to travel to his homeland during agreed-upon times during the year.
But, then came the bombshell move of the Brazilian to Ligue 1’s Qatari-owned PSG side. A record move that saw the French club splash an incredible 222 Million Euros, the highest transfer fee to this day, to earn the privilege of the samba superstar donning the Parisian blue.
He was unveiled to the backdrop of the iconic Eiffel Tower that embodies the French capital city and the transfer market would never return to normalcy from that point on. And the effects of the transfer are felt to this day, never to revert to the old way in the coming years seemingly.
However, Neymar could not have been aware of the consequences that would befall him due to his decision to be priced away from Catalunya, where people had come to look at him as the heir to Messi’s throne. The move left the Barcelona faithful feel betrayed as they questioned the career trajectory of the star going forward.
There was talk that Neymar wanted to step out of the monumental shadow cast by the genius of Messi in order to pursue his own personal footballing dream of solitary superstardom. While others suggested that the monetary offer tabled by the oil-rich owners of the French club swayed the Brazilian with champagne desires of life. Whatever the reason may be, his legacy would never again be the same.
Despite a solid start to life in Paris which saw Neymar outclassing opponents and ghosting past defenders at will displaying his wide array of tricks and flick to beat hapless obstacles, the overall picture of his time at PSG would be one of unfilled potential and unrealised promises.
The capital city club went on to dominate the domestic league over the course of his time at PSG, but continental success evaded them. And Neyamr had to face the brunt of the blame time and again. He was pushed to the point of retrospectively evaluating the actual cost he had paid for his decision to quit Barcelona.
His prolonged injury spells and outrageous lifestyle outside the field did not do his reputation within Paris any favours either as the absence during crucial times of the season frustrated the fans. The repetition of the same trend over and over again enraged them.
PSG brought in reinforcements with the addition of Kylian Mbappe to scale the UCL dream but fell short. They managed to reunite Neymar with Messi following Barcelona’s financial misfortunes, as the Qatari owners felt they had the missing piece of the puzzle. However, even the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner couldn’t bring the coveted continental prize to the Parc des Princes.
Slip ups in the UCL year after year took their toll on the side as a rift broke between the headline players of the side and the ultras who were plain fed up with their underachievement in Europe. Frequent whistles and boo-s aimed at Messi and Neymar became commonplace during home games and the Argentine, who became disillusioned with life in the Parisian city decided to make the switch to David Beckham-owned MLS side Inter Miami after claiming the FIFA World Cup in Qatar with Argentina.
As Mbappe pivots for a move out of PSG with his eyes firmly set on Real Madrid, the Parisians, who moved heaven and earth to get him to pen an extension a couple of seasons ago, are fretting about the real possibility of losing their crown jewel on a free.
With clubs clamouring over the chance to get the signature of the French World Cup winner and still very much in his heyday at the age of 24 years of age, Mbappe seems certain to land on his feet anyway he chooses to jump. But, the same can’t be said for Neymar, who at 31 years of age clubs feel is over the hill.
Neymar suggested his desire to head back to Barcelona before Messi rocked up to Paris, and the Brazilian once again craves a return to the Blaugrana. With talks of an exit from PSG ongoing, the 31-year-old dreams of a Barcelona homecoming but head coach Xavi reportedly has no place for the player in his plans as he seeks to build his team around La Masia products that have broken out in the past couple of years.
The ambitious Saudi Arabian football project wants its hit of Neymar a Saudi Pro League tabled an 80 Million Euro a year deal for the Brazilian to join their ranks. The trickster had declined the deal, and as incredulous as it sounds the club came back offering 100 Million Euros a year.
Love him or hate him, it has to be said that Neymar still has enough gas in his tank to star in the European circuit and a switch for the prodigal son to the Middle East seems and sounds like a premature massive downgrade. Some fans are of the opinion that it would be a huge loss for European football on a cultural basis, but the jury is still out on that. And despite his enviable trophy cabinet at the club level, Neymar’s story could be subjected to the harsh fate of going down as a ‘what-could-have-been’.
However, one’s heart can’t help but to go out to the flashy, twinkle-toed dreamer from Mogi Das Cruzes who promised the sky, but ultimately fell short. Not a World Cup to show, nor a Ballon d’Or to gloat.