Truthful Tuesday | PSG believe Kylian Mbappe is their future but they're wrong cause Neymar is their man
Paris Saint-Germain are on the brink of losing two superstars that they hoped would be their future. But while the world says keep Kylian Mbappe, everybody forgets that Neymar is a part of the equation and in this edition of âTruthful Tuesdayâ, we say love him or hate him but Neymar is PSGâs future.
There was a time in the near past gone, that Paris Saint-Germain were nobodies. They were only founded in 1970 after all and that too as a Ligue 2 side before issues saw them demoted to the third division. Their climb up the ladder after that was not bad with them winning a Coupe de France and a Ligue 1 title within the first half of the 1980s before declining. Then broadcasting revenue came into play and it turned the club around like it was nothing.
Suddenly, they had George Weah and David Ginola with Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff joining the party as their wonderful 90s came to an end. Just as suddenly, PSG meant nothing and they leapt from one crisis to another despite bringing in the utterly magical Ronaldinho. He helped keep things exciting on a sinking boat but even Ronaldinho could do so much. But that was until their Qatari owners took over and then the world was their oyster. Because then everything became a party and nobody could say ânoâ to them.
But thatâs exactly where the problem lies for PSG because for all their wealth, they did absolutely nothing with it. One Champions League semi-final and a catalogue of Ligue 1 titles in a league where money plays an immense role. Itâs simply ridiculous but the lack of clubs capable of being able to compete with them has seen their world rocked by controversies but that was until Neymar walked in. Before the elusive Brazilian, PSG certainly had stars but they were never this good or at least they were never players at the peak of their powers.
Thiago Silva was signed at 27, Zlatan at 30, Beckham at 37 and so on. Arguments could be made for only Edinson Cavani, Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria but they donât even come close to the power that Neymar had when he walked in. Kylian Mbappe has slowly grown into that and while Neymar has changed in the time since but PSG are still on the brink of losing both men. This global crisis may have changed football and everything within the sport but for the Parisians, it only delays the inevitable future theyâll one day have to face.
A future where they lose both their superstars which is why theyâve reportedly already started planning for that future by offering Kylian Mbappe a new deal. The 20-year-old has duly rejected that and it has sent shockwaves charging through Paris and the PSG board room. Because on paper, there is no better choice than building a team around Kylian Mbappe. Heâs young, he is genuinely world-class, a World Cup winner and has none of the baggage that old Neymar has. But thatâs exactly where the problems lie for PSG.
Because itâs the exact reason why Mbappe will leave Paris in the future especially given what is out there. Just imagine, 20 years old and he has the entire footballing world at his own feet, the potential to hand-pick the project he wants to sign for and the potential to follow in the footsteps of the greats to European giants. But then thereâs Neymar and everything he stands for. Donât get it wrong. The Brazilian is a gorgeously talented footballer and evokes memories of the greatness he has within him on his day.
But for every magnificent free-kick, for every drop of the shoulder that leaves defenders wondering what just happened, thereâs the nightlife, his âmysteriousâ absence and even him rolling about the floor. Itâs an image that is burnt into your mind when the word Neymar steps out of the shadows. Then there are these transfer rumours that the mills keep producing. The never-ending transfer rumours about him and his move back to Barcelona. Neymar and how sick he is at PSG, Neymar and the outrageous swap deals, Neymar and the little Whatsapp chats with everyone and anyone associated with Barcelona.
Itâs never-ending and almost every day it becomes a little more outrageous and ridiculous. So much so that people have simply stopped caring. But despite all the rumours, the transfer stories and everything more, the world and PSG have forgotten that Neymar picked PSG. Thatâs what PSG need to build on. That amidst the lure of the Premier League, the lure of earning millions at Real Madrid and the lure of playing with Lionel Messi, Neymar picked PSG. Mbappe signed for PSG but Neymar picked them over Barcelona and Messi.Â
He walked away from the Camp Nou and itâs only because he wants to build his own legacy away from the shadow of the great Argentine. And itâs what he knows will happen with any move back to Spain but more importantly, back to Barcelona where people once accepted him. Even if Messi takes a subdued role, all it takes is one moment of genius. One singular moment of magic from the Argentine and then an entire seasonâs worth of performances means absolutely nothing. Because Barcelona will never ever be Neymarâs and that is what PSG need, someone who wants or rather needs PSG to be theirs.
Ronaldinho was passing through, Jay-Jay was never at the same level, Zlatan is Zlatan and Weah wasnât the same. But Neymar is looking for something and now that he has superstardom, all he needs is to figure out how to play football again. It has seen his attitude change this season and somehow, he has stuck to it. Thatâs despite the fans hating and booing him away, despite the hate he gets on social media and even despite all the controversy that surrounded his career this season. Thatâs if you put aside injuries and his sisterâs birthday parties, itâs what PSG need to build around.
Because keeping Kylian Mbappe is a majestic dream to have, it really really is. And keeping him, at least on paper, is the deal that the world wants and who wouldnât? But it is exactly what Barcelona thought they had in Neymar and we all know what happened there. All PSG need to do is convince him that his future lies in Paris and then build a team around him. Give him the leeway he needs to operate in, the freedom to do what he wants on the field but with a tough tactician off the field. A manager who will get the best out of him while letting Neymar be Neymar.
Essentially what Barcelona did with Messi, what Manchester United did with Eric Cantona and they never complained as the trophies flooded their cabinets. Itâs not going to be easy or cheap, but nobody ever said it would be easy and money clearly means nothing to them or him at this stage. Winning club footballâs most coveted trophy is never easy and it is why entire seasons are built around it. Itâs why Juventus transformed themselves and brought in Cristiano Ronaldo despite winning the league almost every year.
Itâs why the world mocks the fact that Pep Guardiola hasnât won it without Lionel Messi. And it is also why the world mocks Paris Saint-Germain and everything they stand for. To end that, all PSG need to do is convince Neymar of this. At the end of the season, in the aftermath of a hypothetical Champions League final, does he want to be the hero lifting club footballâs most coveted trophy or does he simply want to be just another great supporting actor? Sure, heâll get an Oscar but barely anybody remembers them.