It looks like it’s going to be the biggest move this summer, and arguably of any transfer in history as Neymar looks set to leave Barcelona in a record-breaking move to Paris Saint-Germain.
It will go down as one of the most shocking moves in football history, as there wasn’t much indication other than speculation that the Brazilian wanted to leave Camp Nou after plenty of success during his four-year stint with the club alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
So, it comes as no surprise that the Ligue 1 giants have come knocking for the 25-year-old with the Qatar-backed side ready to trigger the £198 million release clause – even if his current side might be taking this to La Liga officials in an attempt to stop the move from going ahead.
Neymar according to reports, has already informed Barca’s new boss Ernesto Valverde and the club that he seeks a move, while he was also given permission to not take part in training sessions as he currently jets off to London, so this is all becoming a reality as the days go by.
Based on the most recent developments, though, it doesn’t seem like anything could deter either party.
Wearing No. 10 for PSG, @neymarjr. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?! ? pic.twitter.com/93EJArPYtk
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 3, 2017
A switch could be made official as early as next week with the Parisians looking to make Neyamr the second big Brazilian name they’ve signed this summer, after bringing in Dani Alves in the hope that they can play a huge role in snatching the Ligue 1 title from AS Monaco.
While he’s been criticized by the Barcelona faithful for cashing-in and leaving to ply his trade elsewhere, Neymar can’t be blame for wanting to escape Messi’s shadow and make a real go of potentially capturing the Ballon d’Or relatively soon – something that looks highly unlikely with Messi still the main man at Camp Nou.
While there’s still slight hope he could change his mind, or that this move could fall through, the latest update suggests that PSG are already preparing for life with Neymar on the books with Mirror Football revealing which shirt number he’ll wear.
According to the British tabloid, Neymar will follow in Ronaldinho’s footsteps by taking the #10 jersey and has a lot to live up to with Jay-Jay Okocha and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also wearing the famous no. 10 in the French capital.
Considering his rumoured demands have also been a talking point, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if that’s something Neymar asked for, as he also dons the no. 10 jersey for the Brazil national team.
Currently, that number is occupied by Javier Pastore but it’s expected that he’ll be switching to something else once the French giants officially announce that Neymar has signed.