Neymar Jr: Brazil legend Rivaldo says star winger "made a mistake" by joining PSG
What's the story?
Rivaldo has claimed that Neymar 'made a mistake' by joining Paris Saint-Germain and insists that his compatriot should seek a move away from the French club this summer.
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Neymar made a world record switch to PSG in 2017 from Barcelona for a world-record €222m transfer fee. The Brazilian was signed by Ligue 1 giants in hopes of claiming the elusive Champions League title. It was never the case as Paris crashed out in the Round of 16 in the past two seasons.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently voiced his concern over his superstars' performance and commitment towards the club and he took a jibe at Neymar by saying 'nobody forced him to sign here'. His comments read as follows-
"I want players that are ready to give everything to defend the honour of our shirt and who sign up to the club’s project,"
"Those who do not want to, or do not understand it, we meet and we speak. There are of course contracts to respect, but the priority now is complete commitment to our project.
"Nobody forced him [Neymar] to sign here. Nobody pushed him to. He came with a fully understanding of the cause to sign up to a project."
Neymar is said to be interested in the prospect of rejoining the Blaugrana bench for the next season.
The heart of the matter...
During a recent interview with The Independent's Miguel Delaney, Rivaldo claimed that Neymar was wrong in moving to Paris. The Barca legend voiced his opinion by saying-
“He’s a brilliant player who made a mistake in leaving Barcelona, I think it’s a good opportunity to come back, and if he comes back here, everything will change in his life, and he’ll have good possibilities."
"More than not working, I think he’s done good things for PSG. The league is not the same, like the English league or Spanish league. The French league is good but not so good for a player of Neymar’s level."
“He has to take the decision now, not wait for another season. Leaving Barcelona was a very sudden and quick decision. Also, the PSG president has left the door open, if he wants to leave, for him or any other players."
"Neymar has a few things that aren’t good, but I think if he comes back, he’s not a child. At 27 years of age, I think he can change. It’s a moment now to take advantage of the moment, for Barcelona… or [Real] Madrid."
What's next?
Amid intense speculation over Neymar's future this summer, it looks like the 27-year-old is on his way back to Camp Nou this summer- with reports suggesting that the personal terms have been agreed between the club and the player.