Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior from Barcelona for a world-record fee.
The Catalan club signed Neymar from Santos in 2013 on a five-year contract, for a fee that neither club opted to disclose officially. In the aftermath of that transfer, both Barcelona and their president Josep Maria Bartomeu were charged with tax fraud. His move to France has caused plenty of controversy in its own right.
Be that as it may, Neymar is one of the finest players in the world, and at 25 years old and in his prime, he is arguably the hottest prospect on the planet. In addition to prices of players in the market being mostly over-inflated, that explains to an extent the necessity for the Parisians to spend such a vast sum to secure his services.
The fact that the transfer actually happened is somewhat surprising, not only because of the fee but also because a key player at Barcelona wanting to leave for any money is not an everyday occurrence, and with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both reaching 30 this year, Neymar could have become their main star in the near future.
This sudden departure could put the team in serious danger of a long-term regression. So far, players around the world saw Barcelona as a dream destination, potentially a final goal planned for the pinnacle of their careers. But it seems now Neymar could be setting a different trend by choosing to move on from them, and it is certainly a heavy blow for the club, who have struggled to replace some of their ageing stars in the past few years. Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, are going for glory with Neymar in their ranks, and there is every chance that Brazil’s golden boy will lead them to it.
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