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Has football officially gone mad? Or is this just the reality of the modern game? – The case of Neymar Jr

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In recent days, it has been reported through the likes of Sky Sports News that Barcelona’s Brazilian talisman has agreed to a 5-year-deal with French side PSG.

The agreement between the two European Giants is said to be worth a staggering £450 million after Neymar’s £196 million release clause was activated. Jaw dropping.. and begs the question, has football finally gone mad?

In recent years, football fans have watched the likes of Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba shatter transfer records, all for below the magic £100 million mark. During last summer’s transfer window, football fans had thought they’d seen it all… When a boyhood Manchester United player, told he wouldn’t make it, was brought back to the Red of Manchester for an eye watering fee, making Paul Pogba the most expensive footballing talent at £89.3 million. As much as the best is still to come from the Frenchman at a ripening age of 24, the transfer was mocked by rival fans, dubbing Pogba just a dancing Youssuf Mulumbu.

The fact is, as much as you may think the Paul Pogba fee has sent football crazy, the reported fee for Neymar is more than double of any record transfer that has ever previously been paid. But is he really worth it?

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It was clear that over recent months Neymar has become unsettled at Barcelona. The skilful Brazilian is arguably up there with the best in the world, with the flare you’d expect from the old fashioned Brazilian sides boasting players such as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The style of football Neymar produces is what every football fan would pay big money to see, with the game seemingly becoming more of a tactical masterclass, than just aiming to outscore your opponents in exasperating 4-3 thrillers.

It is evident to some, that this transfer is not about how much money Neymar will pocket every week… despite it always being a nice incentive.. £515,000 a week after tax.. which makes me feel a tad sick but moving on. At the likes of PSG, Neymar has the stage set to become the star man, the legend of the team, that drove the French side to titles upon titles and the biggest of them all… European success. Neymar has played second fiddle at Barcelona for his entire career to Lionel Messi and even third when Uruguay talisman Suarez arrived on the seen in Catalunya.

Neymar himself, just like Pogba still has the best years ahead of him at the age of 25, with his ‘prime years’ supposedly still to come. Still, the winger will have to produce more than a few magic tricks to prove that he is worth the staggering fee. Jose Mourinho has recently branded Neymar ‘worth it’ in this current day market, despite expressing his worry of the knock on effect this will have on transfer fees for other players in the market. However, Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp is more worries about the substantial distances clubs are going to be able to secure their targets.

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I had a little fun with this.. so for the amount the fee for Neymar stands, PSG could buy..:

  • 19,600,000,000, 1 penny sweets
  • 784 Million, Freddo’s
  • 327,212, 32GB Apple iPhone 7’s
  • 41 Formula 1 cars
  • Four of Alan Sugars Super Yachts
  • 1 Justin Beiber

But you won’t be able to afford a years train fare with that…

Featured Image Source: Alex Fau

Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexizor/16245492137/

Attribution: By Alex Fau (Neymar) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Image found via WikimediaCommons and may be removed upon request 

2 thoughts on “Has football officially gone mad? Or is this just the reality of the modern game? – The case of Neymar Jr

  • Would rather have a iPhone8 🙂 liked the article…

  • Great piece, the transfer market is ridiculous these days!

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