Analyzing The Pros And Cons Of Neymar's Potential Move To Real Madrid
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to make a move to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar Jr. in the upcoming transfer window. The French side signed Neymar for a whopping €222 million (£200m/$262m) from FC Barcelona 10 months ago. Yes, it’s been less than a year.
PSG's exit from the round of 16 in the 2017-18 Champions League was against none other than Real Madrid to whom they lost 5-2 on aggregate in a season where they had high hopes of claiming the trophy. And since then, there have been rumours circulating that the Brazilian star may not return to the French side after the World Cup.
The Brazilian superstar came into the limelight at an early age with his impressive skills at Santos FC. In May 2013, he made a leap to Europe with a transfer to Catalan giants, FC Barcelona.
Soon he became a crucial part of the famous ‘MSN’ trio and secured a place for himself alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. He scored 105 goals and bagged 79 assists in 186 appearances.
Neymar played a huge role in one of the most successful seasons in the club's history as they clinched the Treble in 2014/15 by winning La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. He was also nominated in the top three contenders for the Ballon d'Or race.
In August 2017, he parted ways with the Spanish giants for French side Paris Saint-Germain in a record-breaking €222 million transfer.
If Los Blancos have the Brazilian winger on their radar, it will surely be a busy summer at the Spanish capital but to finance this Barcelona-bothering transfer, they may have to put Karim Benzema and Keylor Navas under the hammer.
Rumours of a Gareth Bale departure have been going around ever since he got injured which cost the Welsh star playing time at Madrid. According to Marca, Neymar has shown a keen interest in playing alongside current Ballon d'Or holder, Cristiano Ronaldo, but it is for sure that the French treble winners will not let their prized asset leave without a fight, as they have him under contract until 2022.
Analysis
Pros
Having played alongside the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic at Camp Nou, it won’t be a problem for Neymar to share the pitch with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Brazilian mates Marcelo and Casemiro at the Bernabeu.
Gareth Bale owns the right wing at Real Madrid with Marco Asensio as an alternative who also adapts well in midfield. Neymar's exceptional skills and pace at on the flanks would combine well with Ronaldo and Bale in Madrid's counter attacking football.
This new attacking trio might just turn out to be a huge threat to arch-rivals FC Barcelona taking El Clasicos up a notch.
It is widely believed that Ligue 1 is not as competitive as the La Liga and Premier League. The fact that no Ligue 1 team has won the Champions League in the recent past clearly indicates their incompetency to perform at bigger stages.
Neymar's move to the Spanish capital will be a step up in his career and it will also increase his chances of winning the Champions League again. Real Madrid have won 12 Champions League titles so far, the most in football history and are in contention to win their 13th this season.
Clearly, the standards are too high at Madrid, a trait that makes them one of the most successful clubs in the world.
Neymar may become the heir to Ronaldo's legacy at Real Madrid as the Portuguese star is 33 years old and the Brazilian is just 26.
Cons
Knowing the nature of these stars, there could be a clash between Ronaldo and Neymar over sharing the left-wing position. If Benzema moves out this summer, the centre-forward position will be vacant and Ronaldo's versatility in both the positions may result in him taking over at the centre with Neymar settling on the left wing.
Football pundits and experts believe that Neymar left Barcelona to avoid playing in Messi's shadow but a move to Real Madrid could also result in him playing in Ronaldo's shadow.
It will be a huge blow not just for Neymar's former club and but also for his ex-teammates. Hearts will be broken and a lot of Barca fans' sentiments will be hurt if the Brazilian goes on to join hands with their eternal rival, Real Madrid.
Conclusion
Although such a move would benefit Neymar's professional career, it may affect his relationships on a personal level with his former teammates. Being a South American, he was able to connect well with his continental teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
But the question is, will he be able to replicate the same with European stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale if he joins Madrid? Will he be able to produce an extraordinary performance at Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane and fulfil his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, according to Don Balon, Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are also rumoured in the pursuit of Neymar Jr, but the question here stands, ‘where will they play him?’. Although the Spanish capital is believed to be Neymar's preferred destination, Manchester United can continue to persuade the Brazilian.