"I suffered with them at Barca" – Carlos Soler makes honest admission on sharing dressing room with Lionel Messi and Neymar at PSG
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Carlos Soler has opened up on sharing a dressing room with Lionel Messi and Neymar at his new club.
Soler, 25, arrived at the Parc des Princes from Valencia in a deal worth up to €21 million on the deadline day of the summer transfer window. He has scored two goals and laid out one assist in just 239 minutes of action for the Ligue 1 giants across all competitions.
A goalscoring midfielder with an eye for a pass, the Spaniard earned his name during his six-year stint with Valencia. He netted 36 goals and contributed 31 assists in 226 matches for his boyhood club.
Speaking to Radio Estadio (via Le10Sport), Soler shared his thoughts on rubbing shoulders with stars like Messi and Neymar. He said:
"It's a pleasure to play with the best in the world, I suffered with them at Barca and now they are my teammates. I'm happy to play with them and with this whole club and the fans."
Both Messi and Neymar were vital members of Barcelona's squad between 2013 and 2017, registering a combined 464 goal involvements. The pair won two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and one UEFA Champions League crown together at Camp Nou.
The South American duo have registered 50 goal contributions between themselves this campaign, helping PSG sit atop both the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League Group H table.
L'Equipe journalist picks Neymar over Lionel Messi as most important PSG star
Speaking on L'Equipe de Greg, reputed journalist Karim Bennani claimed that Neymar has been more impactful than Lionel Messi for PSG in the ongoing 2022-23 season. He said:
"Lionel Messi is not the most important at PSG. He has scored more goals and has made more assists than last year but Neymar has been so important since the start of the season. He is the X-factor."
Bennani asserted that the Parisians can taste major success if the Brazilian maintains his form after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He added:
"If he is not well, PSG will not be well this year and vice versa. In big matches, if he is very good, Paris has every chance of going all the way. And if the Brazilian returns well after the World Cup, the capital club can go very far. I think this is his best time at the club."
Operating with freedom in Christophe Galtier's 3-4-2-1 setup, the Brazilian has registered 14 goals and 11 assists in 18 matches this term.