Why Real Madrid should avoid Neymar transfer drama
By Alex McVey
Real Madrid have been repeatedly linked with PSG’s Neymar. Here’s why it would be a mistake for Real Madrid to get involved in any Neymar transfer drama.
The transfer rumor mill has been grinding away, and Neymar to Real Madrid seems to be one of the hot stories out right now. Bleacher Report suggest that Real Madrid’s President Florentino Perez is obsessed with signing Neymar from PSG. AS report that Cristiano Ronaldo might be included in an offer for Neymar, with Perez now willing to offload the Portuguese to acquire the Brazilian. The Daily Express state that Zidane “has refused to rule out making a move” for Neymar.
Real Madrid will probably be in the market for a big Galactico-level signing next summer, with this season’s La Liga collapse leaving many Madridistas wanting for more. But should Neymar be the name on Madrid’s shopping list?
I think Neymar brings with him more problems than he solves. Certainly the Brazilian is one of the most talented players in the world. But I think there are more cons than pros to trying to land Neymar next season.
If Real Madrid wanted to sign Neymar, they should have signed him last summer. PSG more than doubled the transfer record when they spent €220m to sign Neymar from Barcelona. The only way PSG will be looking to lose money on this transfer is if Neymar suddenly becomes less valuable as a football player. If that were the case, Madrid wouldn’t want him anyway. That means Madrid would be in world-record transfer fee territory, money that could be spent more widely on other world class players.
The mere fact that Neymar might be considering a move to Madrid should be a red flag anyway. Neymar just made his switch from Barcelona. If he then switched on PSG in a year, what’s to say he wouldn’t do that to Madrid shortly after. If Madrid are trying to buy a player they can build a squad around for the future, Neymar seems like an unpredictable option.
Neymar seems to add an element of drama and instability wherever he goes. Neymar clashed with his PSG teammate Edison Cavani over penalty duties, leading to locker-room drama immediately after his transfer. At a club with as big of egos as Real Madrid, Neymar could cause serious troubles behind the scenes.
There are a number of players that Real Madrid should be targeting before Neymar. I, for one, would love to see us go after Juventus’ Paulo Dybala, who has been linked to the club as well. Eden Hazard would also fit the bill. Real Madrid may also be interested in signing Harry Kane from Tottenham. All of these players could provide Madrid with a lower cost alternative who would still play at a world class level. If Real Madrid really wanted to break the bank for a PSG player, they should just finally give Kylian Mbappé the salary he demands, and get a younger player who will lead the way for years to come.
That’s not even mentioning current Real Madrid players who may find themselves left out in the cold if Neymar arrives. Marco Asensio has proven his merit at Madrid, but adding Neymar to the roster could be a signal to Asensio that he is no longer in the plans.
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Neymar is a great player, and if he ends up at Madrid, I’m sure I would come around to supporting him. But I just don’t think he’s worth the drama. Real Madrid have plenty of options, and there’s no reason to break the bank for a player who might want to be sold on just a few years later.