Wenger questions Neymar's decision to leave Barcelona for PSG

Image
ANI London [UK]
Last Updated : Sep 10 2017 | 8:07 PM IST

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels financial reward or the desire to become a central figure encouraged star striker Neymar to leave Barcelona and join Paris Saint Germain (PSG).

The 25-year-old was brought by the PSG for a whopping amount of 222 million Euros. The five-year deal for the Brazilian smashed the previous record set when Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United from Juventus for 89 million Euros in August 2016.

Wenger said that the Neymar never expressed exactly in his statement the reasons of his move as there is always a huge desire for the players to play with the best players.

"He decided to go the other way, so that is. for financial reasons, or for reasons that he thinks Paris Saint-Germain is tomorrow's club and will take over from Real Madrid and Barcelona," goal.com quoted Wenger as saying.

"Or maybe for individual reasons, such as maybe he wants to become the player that the team turns around, and to be acknowledged as the best player in the world," he added.

Neymar, in his statement after joining the PSG, had said, "I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain. Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious."

"And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want. Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played 4 seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge."

Neymar, who joined Barcelona in 2013 has scored 105 goals for the club, guiding them to two league titles, three Copa del Rey and a Champions League crown.

His best goal-scoring season came in 2014-15, when he netted 39 times in helping Barca to the treble under Luis Enrique.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 10 2017 | 8:07 PM IST

Next Story