Messi had announced himself long before he was twenty. Cristiano Ronaldo had already been handed the pressure of wearing the number seven for Manchester United before he was twenty. Neymar is already twenty-one and there are actual rumors that he may spend another season in Brazil before finally heading to Europe and the ultimate player proving ground. If he does not join a team this summer, there is no doubt that the potential that people have been talking about for years may take another serious hit as success in the Brazilian league is a poor comparison to success in the major European leagues.

Neymar is about to become the dominant face of a Nike boot silo and he will be the main star of Brazil’s run in the upcoming World Cup. However, Nike and Brazil would love for their guy to go out and prove himself at the highest possible level before they place so much on the young Brazilian’s shoulders, but Santos and Neymar have always seemed reluctant to move Neymar out of his native country.

NeymarAlthough Neymar’s skill is undeniable, his frequent diving and avoidance of physical play is scaring potential suitors away. Teams in Spain are still interested, but another few seasons spent avoiding Europe may even scare those teams away. On top of that, the interested teams are more prone to lower their price as time goes on. Unless Neymar absolutely destroys the competition at the next World Cup, teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid will be less interested in being Neymar’s first European team and the price they are willing to pay will always reflect that. However, Santos will make even less since Neymar is entering into the last year of his contract. If they do not cash in on Neymar this summer or during the winter window, then they may risk losing their prized possession for absolutely nothing.

Considering that the early portion of Neymar’s career was filled with other players and legends of the game labeling him as being as good as Pele and better than Messi or Ronaldo, the way that players talk about him now lies in stark contrast. There are even others that are starting to doubt whether Neymar is even worth the Brazilian national selection. In fact, the risk is so large for the remainder of his career, that he would be ill-advised to wait until after the World Cup to move. A big failure in that competition could dry up any potential suitors and Neymar could become one of the biggest flops in the entire history of football. If Santos wants to make money and Neymar wants to become involved in the discussion for world’s best, he has to move immediately.

Neymar has a big upside, and only certain players receive offers from the behemoth that is Barcelona. If he does get out there, even if he turns out to be poorer than they expect, he will get a level of training that Santos cannot provide. Plus, a decent season with the Catalan giants would be a great springboard for Neymar to perform at a high level in the World Cup. It really makes no sense for Neymar to avoid a transfer, but he has inexplicably remained at Santos this long. Although the entire world is advising him to move, it might not surprise anyone if Neymar remains in Brazil. Let’s hope that Neymar continues to provide the footy world with something to talk about for a long time to come.

 

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