It’s all done and dusted with Neymar penning an improved deal to keep him at Barcelona until 2021, but just imagine what could’ve been. According to Neymar’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, the 24-year-old Brazilian captain came exceptionally close to joining either Manchester United or PSG over the summer.
In light of players like Alex Teixeira, Jackson Martinez and Ramires moving to China for huge sums of money, what Neymar did in turning down the English and French giants makes him look like Robin Hood in comparison.
@neymarjr is back https://t.co/qKc2A7003J
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 8, 2016
According to Neymar’s agent, PSG offered him €40 million a year AFTER TAX. When you factor in the money Neymar makes from sponsorships, he would’ve been fast approaching Floyd “Money” Mayweather territory. In a couple of years, he could’ve purchased the moon, invested heavily in SpaceX and made himself captain of Lunar Industries FC.
The cost of the transfer? A proposed €190 million, making Paul Pogba’s fee look like peanuts.
“Neymar was also close to a move to Manchester United,” claims Ribeiro. “But he renewed his contract for less money with Barcelona, because he wanted to stay in Barcelona.”
You can understand why PSG were willing to break the bank for Neymar. After losing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club is missing the global centerpiece that they’d enjoyed for four years.
Ibrahimovic himself, when asked about what he missed in the French capital, said: “I miss my last salary from Paris. That is what I miss.”
Ibra earned €290,000 a week at PSG. Neymar would’ve earned in excess of €760,000 a week.
(H/T: The Guardian)
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