It’s been nearly a year since Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. left Paris Saint-Germain, but did these two superstars really want to depart the French capital? New information sheds light on the reasoning for their departure.
Next season, the Ligue 1 side will be in uncharted territory with the departure of Kylian Mbappé, which means that PSG won’t have a true bonafide superstar. The last time the Parisians were without a standout player of that caliber was 2016-17 after the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimović.
After that season, PSG landed Neymar and Mbappé, so this upcoming season could resemble that campaign in the post-Ibrahimović era. Nonetheless, Diario AS reports (h/t Le10Sport) that the Ligue 1 champions could’ve had a superstar heading into the 2024-25 season.
The Spanish media outlet reports that Neymar and Lionel Messi actually wanted to remain at PSG last summer. However, it seems the club had different plans, prioritizing the team over individual players.
Consequently, PSG decided not to extend Messi’s contract and transferred Neymar to Al-Hilal for €90 million. With Mbappé’s exit officially happening in a few weeks, this really marks a new era.
So dumb to get rid of both those guys. Biggest superstars in the sport. Geez