Real Madrid released a statement notifying the public that the club is not pursuing the PSG winger. Here’s a look at what happened and what this could mean for Madrid.
For the second time in 10 days, Real Madrid has made a statement via their official website about transfer rumors. Los Blancos said they have “no intention” of prying Neymar from his club. The announcement pointed out that if Madrid were to make a move on any of PSG’s players they would let the Parisians know. Quite the class move from Real stating that “the two clubs enjoy an excellent relationship”
With Cristiano Ronaldo saying his goodbyes to Madrid and hellos to Juventus the Neymar speculation has increased. With the role of the main man up the air in Madrid, Neymar boasts the resume for the role. From the time Neymar left Barcelona last summer people thought the move was just a workaround to get to Madrid. Sure the Brazilian could have made the move directly but that would taint his image, just look at Figo.
Doesn’t look like Real Madrid have any intentions of singing Neymar. But then again it’s Perez so who knows?! pic.twitter.com/LWGOS0b11w
— The Real Champs (@TheRealChampsFS) July 13, 2018
Last week Brazilian media out Globo Esporte said that Real was sending a representative to meet with Neymar’s father. Of course, we know that this is not true given the statement that was released.
Two days later Real Madrid released another statement. Rumors were flying around like a cafeteria food fight about singing Kylian Mbappe. While that would be an excellent move as well, money is a huge factor as the Frenchman doesn’t come cheap.
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What Now?
Let’s presume for a second that the statement does hold true and that Real are in fact not trying to sign Neymar, then what? Real Madrid has just said goodbye to their star player, finding a replacement is a top priority. Unfortunately for Perez and the board, time is not on their side. It’s already the second week of July meaning we’re a little over a month into the summer transfer window.
Finding a replacement is not the hard part, having them put pen to paper will be though. The most likely replacement would be Eden Hazard. The 27-year-old has expressed his interest in playing with Real Madrid several times. With the firing of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, this could increase Hazard’s willingness to leave. In addition, Chelsea finished fifth place and have not qualified for Champions League football.
The other option and a more long-term solution is 20-year-old Kylian Mbappe. While he does come with a hefty price tag, knowing that he has many years of prime football ahead of him is a plus. This World Cup has been a great showcasing of his talents. Mbappe’s pace and prowess in front of goal would help make up that deficit of Ronaldo’s departure.
Please, Florentino Perez, make the next official communication a positive one.