After possibly the most insane and surreal transfer saga of all time, Neymar has officially completed his move to French club Paris Saint-Germain.
But how does this saga effect Real Madrid? Despite not being involved in the makings of this incredible transfer, Real Madrid are effected on nearly every front. Domestically, in Europe, and even in the transfer market — Neymar’s move could possibly influence all three.
This next month especially could have a domino effect set in place that sees many clubs effected. Brace yourself Madridistas, this next season of Football is going to be crazy.
Another European Rival?
The primary goal of PSG when acquiring Neymar was to finally have a squad that could win the UEFA Champions League. While this might be an unpopular opinion, Neymar’s addition makes the French Club legitimate contenders.
Their defence is not on the level of many of their European competitors, but a midfield and attack containing the likes of Neymar, Cavani, Di Maria, Draxler, Rabiot, and Verratti is enough to do serious damage to even the best squads. With Neymar joining the fold, PSG add a mercurial player who could soon to be the best player in the world once Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi retire.
Before this transfer, Real Madrid likely saw PSG a lot like how they see English clubs in Europe; a good team that can cause problems on their day, but is ultimately not stiff competition. At this point, Madrid should be viewing PSG as they view clubs like Juventus and Atletico — clubs capable of a deep run every year but not necessarily on the same level as Bayern Munich or Barcelona.
You bring in a top-three player for a manager that specializes in cup competitions like Unai Emery, and you’ve got quite a tricky customer to deal with. Massive European clubs including Real Madrid will not enjoy facing this new PSG, as it’s very likely that Neymar will take his game to an entirely different level now.
Regardless of how much better you think Paris Saint-Germain will get after acquiring Neymar, Real Madrid’s path to a third straight Champions League victory just got even more difficult.
Transfer Targets and a possible Domino Effect
Neymar’s move sets in place a domino effect that will very likely effect Real Madrid. Being on the same tier of world Football, naturally both Spanish giants will duel for the same prospects. Lately the two world-beating starlets come in the form of two young Frenchmen, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Kylian Mbappe seems destined to play for Real Madrid due to his affection for both the club’s best player and coach, but the deal is far from certain. With over 200 million Euros to spend now, Barcelona can meet Monaco’s valuation. Barcelona now possess the financial ability to make such a deal work, and swipe the player away from Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid.
Such a development would be heartbreaking for Madridistas, especially to lose Mbappe to their most hated rival. This deal remains unlikely, as Barcelona have more than one position that needs to be addressed, however this transfer is one that all Madrid fans should be wary of.
Meanwhile, another Madrid target Ousmane Dembele is much more likely to make the move to Barcelona. It is rumoured that Real Madrid will make a move for the talented winger after this coming season. If Barcelona do decide to move for Dembele, it is unlikely that the Dortmund player would ever wear white.
With the amount of money Barcelona is about to spend, the rest of the transfer window will be wildly unpredictable. Not only do Real Madrid face the threat of losing one of their primary transfer targets of the future, but many other clubs may lose their elite players. Liverpool might lose Coutinho, or Juventus could even lose Dybala. Due to their recently-fed deep pockets, the possibilities for Barcelona are nearly endless. This makes Mbappe’s signing a pertinent issue for Florentino Pérez, and expect him to react accordingly.
A Weakened Barcelona?
Ah yes, the most important question following this craziness is whether or not Real Madrid’s chief rival will be weakened. While it is difficult to truly make this assessment until the end of the transfer window, one has to believe that Barcelona will be weaker no matter who they sign.
Giving up a player at or near the same level as both Ronaldo and Messi is a massive loss no matter how many Cules say that it is not. Even if / when Barcelona sign elite players in this transfer window, they surely will not settle in immediately. If the past is anything to go off of, Barcelona’s signings often take multiple months to integrate into the side’s playing style.
If Barcelona don’t sign a player for both the wing and midfield positions than they will essentially be in the same situation as last year — but surely off worse. Would singing both Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele really make Barcelona better off? For the present perhaps not, but both players would indeed be a great consolation prize after their board’s crown jewel departed.
These next few weeks will be crucial for the Catalans, as most can see a sizeable gap separating Real Madrid and Barcelona potentially forming. If Barcelona mess up this opportunity they may fall even further behind Real Madrid.
At the same time, if Barcelona’s board nails these next few weeks, Madrid will face its typically stiff competition from Barca in both Spain and Europe. The reactions of Europe’s top clubs over the next month could cause a telling impact on world football for years. Only time will tell, but the implications of Neymar’s transfer will surely be felt by Los Blancos in more ways than one.