Neymar and the End of an Era in Paris
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Moahad Saqib
Another star player gone amid an overhaul in the French capital.
Neymar's €90m departure to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal marks not only 2/3 of MNM (Messi-Neymar-Mbappé) out the door, but also a new opportunity for a club seeking its first UEFA Champions League title. This move seals a rocky era since the Brazilian's arrival in July 2017, which got even rockier following Leo Messi's arrival in 2021.
The trio lasted merely two seasons, with two Ligue 1 titles, one Trophée des Champions, and two Round of 16 exits in the UEFA Champions League. Worse, both campaigns ended in humiliating fashion, with 2022 ending in a three-goal meltdown, where Karim Benzema's hat-trick in less than 10 minutes erased PSG's 2-0 aggregate lead, ultimately losing 3-2 on aggregate. This past season, Bayern Munich completely shut down PSG 3-0 on aggregate.
A Deeper Look
Neymar leaving the French club also marks the near-end of what once was a significant Brazilian influence in the club and on the pitch, with Lucas Moura, Thiago Silva, and David Luiz - who played in Paris before Neymar's arrival - all playing representing new colours. Club captain and defender Marquinhos is the only remnant of the culture, with the club now headed to a more European style of play.
In addition to their style of play, PSG is clearly attempting to Frenchisize the club (if that is even a word?). This means that they are looking towards academy graduates such as prodigy Warren Zaire-Emery, acquiring Ligue 1 players such as the likes of Bradley Barcola from Lyon, and Les Bleus squad members, particularly the arrivals of Lucas Hernandez and Ousmane Dembélé from Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona, respectively.
Dembélé - along with the arrivals of forwards Marco Asensio and Kang-in Lee - seem poised to compete to be Neymar's successors. With three leagues matches in the books, Dembélé is already starting to impress and become a favourite at the Parc des Princes, whereas Kang-in Lee picked up an injury after the second matchday. Asensio also turned on the jets as of late, scoring his first goal with les Rouges et bleus last weekend against RC Lens.
We are now entering a new era, where PSG is also shedding some additional weight by selling Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes, while also loaning Renato Sanches to AS Roma, who joins Paredes under José Mourinho. Other departures include a deadline day loan where Juan Bernat being will spend the season at SL Benfica, and a permnanent transfer for Georginio Wijnaldum to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq for around €9.5m, where he will join former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson
PSG may also sell Italian midfielder Marco Verratti to Al-Arabi, a Qatari club. If the move materializes, he will join former club mate Abdou Diallo, who also left this summer. It may be possible that another club, including one from Saudi Arabia, swoops in to sign the once-dubbed maestro of Paris.
In addition to Zaire-Emery being the future PSG's midfield, landing Manuel Ugarte from Sporting CP for €64m proved to be effective. The Uruguayan's tenacious defence and dominance in the midfield is quickly making him a fan favourite, despite the bold investment made by the club.
Well-connected
While PSG may be focusing on adding French talent, we are also seeing Portuguese and Spanish connections. the Portuguese connection took off last summer following the addition of Sporting Director Luis Campos. Since presiding over the French capital club, he oversaw the permanent signing of young defender Nuno Mendes, while also acquiring Vitinha as his first signing from FC Porto and Renato Sanches from fellow Ligue 1 rivals LOSC Lille.
This summer, he acquired the highly touted Gonçalo Ramos from SL Benfica on loan with a potentially hefty fee of around €80m. Ramos could break through as PSG's top striker. They all join defender Danilo Pereira, who last season became a fan favourite after flourishing under then-manager Christophe Galtier. He earned the reputation of a warrior and a true leader - some even want Pereira to take over the captaincy.
With respect to Spain, Campos signed Fabian Ruiz and Carlos Soler during the latter stages of last year's Summer transfer window, both of whom grossly underachieved last season under Galtier. Campos then further added to the Spanish connection by hiring former Barcelona and Spanish boss Luis Enrique.
However, Campos's current situation is a further example of PSG's rocky transition period as a handful of executive employees at the club want the Portuguese gone. Campos, on the other hand, feels betrayed by the club amid the threat of a Kylian Mbappé departure, whom he knew since Mbappé was 14 years old at AS Monaco. He may be on his way out, but could closing this chapter further heal the club from its gaping wound?
What Should Be Done?
I will only know if PSG are going in the right direction if three things happen. First, the management team needs to stick to their new philosophy. Signing Hernandez and Dembélé were smart moves. Although I initially questioned Hernandez's signing, I realized that with (another) Spanish defender Juan Bernat's departure and Mendes dealing with injuries, it may be wise to have a solid starting-caliber left-back, who is no less from France's 2018 winning World Cup squad.
Both Hernandez and Dembélé fit into the club as if it were their home, despite Hernandez being from rival city Marseille. He set up a great play and pass to Kylian Mbappé, who scored his first of two goals against Lens.
If they can build from their academy, PSG could yet reach new heights that every club dreams about. Ranked as one of the best academies in the world, the French club always resorts to selling their players, whether it is due to Financial Fair Play rules in the aftermath of a series of signings from abroad, or that the player demands an exit from the French capital. Oftentimes, however, the player doesn't even consider signing a professional contract at the club, and instead signs somewhere where he would be guaranteed playing time.
Defender Presnel Kimpembe, who has been a rare academy graduate and playing for the club since 2015, and Zaire-Emery are both born leaders, who can lead on the pitch, but also a new batch of Parisians to glory within their own home city.
Second, PSG needs to trust their coach's philosophy. Since Laurent Blanc (2013-2016), the club has not had the same manager for three full consecutive seasons. Thomas Tuchel came closest at 2.5 seasons from August 2018-December 2021. It is no coincidence that Tuchel's tenure constituted PSG's most successful period during the QSI era, with two Ligue 1 titles, one Coupe de France title, a Coupe de la Ligue title, two Trophée des Champions, and a Champions League final appearance.
Despite a mediocre preseason (at best) and a relatively slow start to the Ligue 1 campaign (1 win, 2 draws), Luis Enrique may yet prove to be exactly what PSG is looking for. He is organized with his tactics, no matter how unpopular they are. However, he will have to return to his pragmatic FC Barcelona days, rather than opt for his unilateral pass and possession tactics with Spain, which backfired tremendously at the World Cup as they lost to Morocco on penalties (0-0 after extra-time) and only had one shot on target.
Finally, PSG will need to keep their players healthy. Despite driving PSG to the UCL Final in 2020, Neymar only played 57% of PSG's matches in a seven-year span, per a OneFootball post on Instagram. That is absolutely unacceptable for a major club, who was deprived of their star player and still the world's most expensive signing (€222m). Dembélé, who is notorious for being sidelined, will need to overcome his demons. PSG may not be the best equipped club when it comes to dealing with fitness and preventing injuries. Therefore, this will be a new major challenge for PSG, who now put the fate of not only their club, but of the national team, in their hands.
Bottom Line
PSG supporters are ultimately happy with Neymar and Messi's departures. It is unfortunate, however, that the once-revered Brazilian star, who was welcomed with open arms during the 2017-18 season opener at the Parc des Princes to facing angry supporters demanding his departure at his doorstep.
Despite the regret and the 'what ifs' about his fitness, we should still appreciate his contributions to the club, where he quickly became one of the best scorers.
As a PSG supporter myself, I look forward to a fresh start without dealing with Neymar's injuries and Messi's entitlement, whether it's manifested by him or by ownership and management who tried to please the star player. I also anticipate a lot of competition in this year's squad, with new - and mostly young - players in the mix, and many starting positions up for grabs.
While Messi remained fit during his tenure at the Parc des Princes, they face another challenge with the other star, Kylian Mbappé's, whose fitness is not what troubles PSG. He recently came off a massive stand-off with the club, which resulted in a fortunate outcome for both parties as Mbappé came back to train and play, while PSG are not only benefitting from his services, but are also poised to sign him to a two-year contract extension.
Should the extension happen, plus a possible last-minute arrival of fellow Frenchman Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt (as of September 1, 13:30 EDT), PSG could field an all-French front three (Mbappé-Kolo Muani-Dembélé), should Ramos settle as a rotation player. Considering their success on the international stage, this could prove to be an effective front three to put France on the map at the club level and year-round.
