Neymar, the Brazilian football player is the costliest player to ever play the game. His transfer from Barcelona to PSG cost $222 million in 2017. The transfer fee took the world by storm given it was double the then highest transfer fee. Neymar transfer to PSG has been immense is lifting PSG to the top echelons of world football. They now attract the biggest of brand deals, their stadium is always full and their profit has seen a great increase. PSG however are yet to win a Champions League, something that Neymar was bought in for. How would then Neymar’s transfer to PSG be considered in terms of success? Has Neymar been a flop at PSG?
In terms of Football
Neymar was bought by PSG for one reason and one reason only- to win the Champions League. Something that he has not yet been able to do. PSG have spent more than a billion dollars in search of the coveted prize but have only found failure. The closest they have come to winning the Champions League was in the 2019-2020 season when they were beaten by Bayern Munich 0-1.
90 goals and 55 assists in 128 games are very good returns for any player. These stats however do not paint the right picture. Neymar has scored most of these goals (70) in League 1, that too against teams that are not considered top quality. In the 4 years that he has been with the club, he has only played 20 league matches once and that is where the issue lies.
Neymar is often injured and unavailable to play. Last season PSG lost the League 1 by 1 point in which Neymar played 18 games scoring 9 and making 5 further assists. To think that PSG would have won the league if Neymar had played more games would not be an incorrect assessment.
His constant injuries and all-around unbothered attitude along with PSG’s failure to win the Champions League makes Neymar a flop or rather substandard at PSG. That could however very well change if PSG wins the Champions League with Neymar in the team. This transfer would quickly shift from being a failure to success.
From a Business standpoint
Neymar’s transfer to PSG despite not being a success in terms of football is something else entirely when viewed from a business standpoint. Neymar’s €222 million transfer to PSG lifted them from the second tier of football clubs to the top. PSG quickly went from an also-ran to one that everyone had their eyes on. Brand deals were failing into their lap from left right and centre. Nike, Air Jordan, Dior, Fly Emirates to name a few are some of the highest payers in the advertisement field and they are with PSG.
Not only this but with his transfer, PSG showed intent something that gave their project legitimacy. Now players don’t think twice before joining PSG. Only a year later Mbappe joined. Players like Donarrumma, Icardi, Hakimi and many others joined at the peak of their careers, something that would not have been possible earlier.
Neymar is probably the reason for the addition of Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest football player of all time to the PSG squad. A high influx of brands, as well as top players, would not have been possible had Neymar not joined PSG with an eye-watering price tag. So on that front, I’d say Neymar has been a success at PSG.
Tell us what do you think about Neymar’s career at PSG. Has he been a success or a flop?
