Neymar Jr. is in the conversation for best player in the world alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, however, one French football pundit doesn’t believe that the 28-year-old is vital for Paris Saint-Germain’s success as perhaps one of his teammates.
Former Girondins de Bordeaux striker, Christophe Dugarry, stated on his program Team Duga on RMC Sport that Marquinhos is more valuable to Les Parisiens.
“He is already fully invested, you need in a team a very big defender in the team. I think he is one of the best. He loves the club, he invests in the club,” Dugarry said. He has a mind, a character. This boy is inevitably more important than a boy, with perhaps more important talent, but who has only one desire: to steer clear of each transfer window. So I prefer to count on a leader, who is always there for the team.”
🗣💬 "Il est investi, il y a besoin d'un grand défenseur. Il est forcément plus important qu'un garçon au talent peut-être plus important, mais qui n'a qu'une envie : se barrer à chaque mercato"
Marquinhos plus important que Neymar au PSG ? Duga répond "Oui !" #RMCLive pic.twitter.com/9ROFeUwCnJ
— Team Duga (@TeamDugaRMC) June 8, 2020
Central defenders anchor the defense and are a significant part of a squad. Nonetheless, Neymar is a generational talent who has shown the ability to put his team on his back and create offense.
Look at what the Brazil international did against Borussia Dortmund in the return leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League as an example of how Neymar can influence one game.
Without a player of Neymar’s caliber on the pitch, there’s no telling if PSG gets by Dortmund and reach the quarter-finals. Marquinhos is a terrific player and, more than likely, the squad’s captain with Thiago Silva’s pending departure.
Despite that, there’s a reason why the capital club’s fortune changed once Neymar was able to appear in both matches for the Round of 16, sometimes that type of talent can make the difference, especially in a single-game elimination competition.
Want more PSG? Visit the PSG Talk Podcast Network page and subscribe to PSG Talking, The 1970, and 24th & Parc.
