TRANSFER SEALED, CHALLENGES AHEAD
Initially, Neymar’s transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain felt like just a rumour but it slowly gained momentum and was finally sealed on Thursday. With three weeks of drama surrounding the transfer finally ending, HT looks at the challenges ahea
ALL EYES ON NEYMAR
Besides the mega bucks that he will pocket, the challeng e for Neymar will be to justify his price tag. He will be under the scanner every time he walks onto the pitch for PSG. At Barcelona, he had Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to cover for him but at PS G he will b eh is own man. With Ligue 1 standards not on par with other European leagues, his season will be defined by his exploits in the Champions League.
PSG DREAMING BIG
Ever since Qatar’s royal family took over PSG in the summer of 2011, their ultimate ambition has been to topple the traditional powerhouses of Europe and win the Champions League.
To achieve their dream, they have invested heavily b ut stil lc ouldn’t turn it into a reality, failing to go beyond quarterfinals in the last four seasons. Neymar’s acquisition will be a shot in the arm for the Parisians, who will look up t ot he Brazilian to put them among the continent’s elite.
A MARKETING MASTERSTROKE
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said during the Brazilian’s unveiling on Friday that 3-4 years down the line the transfer fee of €222m won’t look like a mammoth amount. That might be true as Neymar is among the most marketable sports star in the world.
His arrival has put PSG in the higher echelons of European football and very soon they can bank on his worldwide appeal to spread their wings across the world, creating fan-base at places where they are non-existent.
GLOBAL APPEAL
Neymar’s appeal can be gauged by the fact that he outnumbers PSG by a distance on social media in terms of followers: