Neymar leaves Barcelona without its heir to Lionel Messi
BARCELONA, SPAIN » Barcelona is facing an uncertain future without Lionel Messi’s heir apparent.
Neymar flourished alongside Messi for four seasons, and everyone in Barcelona — executives, players, fans — counted on the 25-yearold Brazil striker to eventually become the team’s leader after he signed a contract extension last year through 2021.
That plan was blown away on Wednesday when Neymar told the club he wanted to leave. His representative, Wagner Ribeiro, confirmed widespread rumors that Paris Saint- Germain was ready to trigger the astonishing 222 million euro ($262 million) release clause included in Neymar’s contract that would double the world record for soccer transfers.
The imminent departure of Neymar leaves Barcelona in the position of having a lot of extra cash and the clear need to shore up an aging team that has lost its second best player now, and its projected star for years to come.
Neymar is poised to become an even better player in Paris than the one who has dazzled Camp Nou with his lightning-quick feet and flair for beautiful goals.
Barcelona’s other top players, however, are all eyeing the twilight of their careers. While he still hasn’t lost a step, Messi is 30 and entering his 14th season. Striker Luis Suarez is also 30, and midfielder Andres Iniesta has reached 33 and is in the final year of his contract. Iniesta considered Neymar irreplaceable, no matter how much money the club gets in exchange.
“I can’t see how having 200 or 300 million (euros) is more beneficial than counting on Neymar,” Iniesta said last weekend amid growing speculation about PSG’s interest. “He is one of the best players in the world and gives us so much.”
Neymar’s departure after four seasons and 10 trophies breaks up one of the most potent strike units ever. Neymar and Messi were joined by Suarez in the summer of 2014, and the three became almost unstoppable, scoring a Spanish record for a trio of 122 goals in a season to lead Barcelona to a rare sweep of the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey titles.