PSG got the signature they wanted in the past week when Kylian Mbappe signed his extension with the club. After a long saga, Mbappe rejected Real Madrid in favor of staying in Paris. However, resolving that only meant that there are now new challenges for PSG going forward. One of them is the status of Neymar Jr. The Brazilian was the first huge signing for the club and he was paid €222 million to bring him over from Barcelona. After five years at the club and no Champions League medals, it might be time to say goodbye. Here are three reasons PSG must sell Neymar this summer.
3 Reasons why PSG must sell Neymar
Keeping Kylian Mbappe happy
Kylian Mbappe did stay and, reportedly, he stayed with some demands for PSG. Also, the Parisiens reportedly promised Mbappe some control over the sporting project, including his input on coaches and on transfers. A part of those demands, again reportedly, was that PSG sells Neymar this summer. It was clear that Mbappe enjoyed playing with Lionel Messi, but we cannot say the same thing about Neymar. He just looked off playing with the Brazilian, and that could be due to a variety of reasons. Whatever they might be, it is still worth noting that Mbappe, as a 23-year-old superstar and possible future Ballon d'Or winner, should be kept happy at all costs.
Selling Neymar would do a lot of good for PSG altogether, but it would most benefit due to their relationship as a club with Mbappe. It is important to note that while he did stay, it is only a short-term extension. Mbappe can still leave in three years when he is 26 and with time to spare before his physical prime kicks in. Thus, breaking promises and not fulfilling demands might make Mbappe want to leave even earlier and that is the most important reason why PSG must sell Neymar. Mbappe is just the more important player in the hierarchy and if he is not kept happy, it is a world of problems for PSG and their chances to win the coveted Champions League.
He is too expensive
A few years back, after a lengthy saga of him possibly coming back to Barcelona, Neymar signed a huge extension to stay at the club. The details about that contract, similar to what Mbappe was given, are not public, but the reports close to the situation can be trustworthy. According to some, Neymar makes around $69 million per year in just the base salary with a pay bump to $80 million if he sticks around for the 2025-26 season. There are other incredible clauses in the contract too, basically earning Neymar a ton of money for things like being punctual and not causing scandals. For a team like PSG, which is basically owned by a nation-state, this money was peanuts, but they have three huge salaries on board now.
Now, Mbappe is one of the best players on the planet, and his salary is understandable, if not for the fact that it was influenced by a bitter fight for his signature with Real Madrid. Lionel Messi is one of the best players ever and the only way he was making the switch to anywhere from Barcelona was for the money. Neymar is not currently as good as Mbappe, nor is he historically good as Messi. It is just not sustainable to spend this amount of money on just three players, so one will have to go. Mbappe is clearly not leaving, and neither is Messi, thus Neymar is the odd man out. They should sell him right away.
He does not seem to care that much about football
Neymar was never seen as a player who really cared as much for the game. Just like many Brazilians, he relied on his talent and physical gifts to be great at the sport. Due to his incredible level of talent, unmatched by the vast majority of the footballing world, he was able to cut himself a nice living, to say the least. However, as he approaches the latter stages of his career, that disparity in physical preparedness and general focus on the game of football starts becoming the difference. Cristiano Ronaldo is exactly, to the day, seven years older than the Brazilian, but he is still playing on an incredible level. Neymar? It is a different story.
Neymar's approach to the game has always been questioned and it was kind of covered up in Barcelona, where playing the game was so easy next to the genius of Lionel Messi and the finishing ability of Luis Suarez, combined with the stability of that midfield. In PSG, where Neymar was constantly asked to be the main man, Neymar failed many times. He did play incredibly in the 2020 season and reached the final of the Champions League, but slowly fell off after that experience. It just seems like he never puts in the work and his talent will fade over time. It is really time for PSG to cut their losses and transfer their problem elsewhere.
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