All attention is focused on Paris Saint-Germain and Neymar Jr. right now. Not even the UEFA Super Cup today between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC could generate the kind of buzz the Brazilian is generating with his potential transfer back to La Liga. It’s almost like 2017 again where the footballing world is waiting for the Neymar domino to fall.
According to the latest reports, PSG executives met with FC Barcelona leadership this week to try and hash out a deal. The Catalan club wants to offer Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitić and €80 million. Unfortunately, that’s nowhere near what it will take to bring Neymar back to Barcelona. PSG are reportedly fine with Coutinho, but they want Nélson Semedo and €120 million included in the deal. What’s clear is that the capital club does not intend to lose their prized asset without recouping at least half of the fee they paid for him and two quality players they choose.
On the latest episode of The 1970, Ed and Marc Damon discuss whether or a deal can be done and what would happen if PSG decides to keep Neymar in the squad for this season. What impact will the actions of some of the Ultras last Sunday have on Neymar if he is to return to the Parc des Princes as a PSG player? It’s a messy situation with many implications for Paris both on and off the pitch.
On the pitch, there’s no doubt that Neymar makes PSG a better team. When you look at the squad as a whole, PSG has a really solid team. Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, and Kylian Mbappé are all world-class players and sporting director Leonardo has surrounded them with quality role players and added to the midfield depth. However, given his injury history and desire to leave Paris, it might be a good idea for PSG to cut ties with Neymar and reinvest the money into a goalkeeper and right-back that can help them win the UEFA Champions League.
After the main event topic, the duo dive into some quick topics that span from the 3-0 win over Nîmes Olympique to the club celebrating its 49th anniversary. How is the partnership between Mbappé and Edinson Cavani? Can they coexist and what is the Frenchman’s best position? How important is Verratti to what PSG want to do offensively this season? Marc and Ed gladly discuss some non-Neymar topics and give their opinions on how the team is shaping up at the start of the season.
The show wraps up with us answering your Twitter questions. Thank you as always for listening to The 1970 and our other podcasts, PSG Talking and 24th & Parc.
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