How Neymar is showing a nasty side to his personality at PSG
First things first, Neymar like most of us wants to make as much money as he possibly can before he calls time on his career. There is nothing wrong with that.
However, that selfishness is now rearing its ugly head more than ever during his time at PSG, with more demands about higher wages, just seven months after moving to the club in the summer from Barcelona.
It is hard to criticise the Brazilian for moving to PSG from Barcelona considering he reportedly earns close to £600,000 per week in wages, which is double what he was earning during his time at the Catalan club.
That extortionate amount of money would be hard to turn down for anyone which makes his move to the French club understandable, even if he was leaving one of the best clubs in the world for a perceived less-competitive league.
Does Neymar believe he is bigger than Ligue 1?
That being said, Neymar's true colours are coming to the fore as he publicly suggested that the referees in Ligue 1 are not doing a good job at protecting him because he is being fouled far too frequently and too hard at times.
He evidently believes he is something of a commodity to the French league and, rather than attempting to tackle him, opponents should admire his skills, even when he is showboating.
His showboating skills are, at times, humiliating considering the areas he performs certain tricks, mocking the opposition players because he clearly feels the league is too easy for him.
Whilst we should admire his skill, as he is undoubtedly one of the best in the world, there is a time and a place for them, and he doesn't always pick the best moment, which is consequently why he gets fouled more often.
Alongside the public statement towards referees in the last couple of weeks, Neymar has now demanded a pay increase at the Parisian club, just 7 months into a 5-year contract. Whilst it is hard to argue that he is definitely big fish in a small pond at PSG, he is still the second-highest-paid player in the world, reportedly behind arguably the best player ever: Lionel Messi.
Shouldn't Neymar win trophies at PSG first before making demands?
The theory many people put forward for Neymar's departure to PSG was that the Brazilian always felt that he was in the shadow of Messi. So the move was made in order to develop his career and potentially win a coveted Ballon d'Or that he might not necessarily win at Barcelona.
However, with his current demands, this is seemingly not the case, with money being the main priority, rather than coupling that with the progression of his career. High-scale trophies such as the Champions League that were on offer for Neymar at Barcelona are clearly going to be harder for him to win at PSG, especially seeing as the club lost to Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
Instead of promising the fans that they'll do better next year and trying to create a positive atmosphere at the club, Neymar decided this would be a good time to provide his employers with an ultimatum: that he would leave in the summer if he wasn't offered more money.
That in itself is extremely selfish and clearly sums up Neymar's motives, with money vastly outweighing the glory football could and should ultimately be providing him with.
Neymar's talent is unquestionable. However, he has displayed an ugly side to his personality that could make it hard for him to recover from in the future, with potential suitors put off by his demands.
Only time will tell what happens with Neymar's situation at PSG.