French Ligue 1
I joined PSG for Challenges, Not Money, Says Neymar
Neymar Jr completed his switch to Paris Saint-Germain as the world’s most expensive player, a tag that is considered will be a burden on him.
But the Brazilian has dismissed that saying, “being the most expensive player in the world is not a burden. I weigh 69kg. I don’t have a burden on me.”
That was while he was answering reporter’s questions at the unveiling event which was live on global television as well as on various social media platforms.
While his move to Paris, hailed, it was with different feelings at Barcelona where he departed. He carefully picked his words while remarking on his former club.
“I have nothing to say really – I’m not sad, I’m really happy. I wrote my chapter there – I won some trophies, I did everything I could there, but you can’t make everyone happy. What I want to say to the fans is: thank you for your friendship.”
His new home ground is now Parc de Princes, the stadium where Nigeria last won a World Cup match, defeating Bulgaria 1-0 in 1998 before recording another win 16 years later in Brazil. Neymar was asked who he spoke to at PSG to make the move.
“It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made to move. It wasn’t easy at all to leave Barcelona. I had to think, and re-think, and think again about what I wanted to do.
“I leave a lot of good friends behind, but that’s football. Of course I would like to thank all my friends at Barcelona, but I felt it was the right time to leave and look for new challenges. I spoke with the Brazilian players at PSG – they are my friends, and I feel at home already.”
He was then asked if he was influenced by the Brazilian players at PSG to join the club. “Yes. The environment here is very positive.
“I had to think about what I wanted to do with my life. It’s very complicated to think about this. As soon as I made my decision, when I was 100% sure, I communicated that. My heart told me to come to PSG.”
While welcoming the good look Brazilian, the PSG president, Al-Khelaifi remarked: “He’s already very handsome, but with the PSG journey, even more so.”
Like in the contract that Neymar signed with FC Barcelona, Al-Khelaifi confirmed there is a buyout clause in Neymar’s new contract, but doesn’t specify the amount.
“When you think about Neymar as a brand, maybe it won’t be so expensive. We’re definitely going to make more money than we spent. We’ve been very transparent from day one about FFP. There’s no problem with that. We have a team working day and night. For anyone worrying about FFP, I say: don’t worry, go and have a coffee.”
Neymar dismissed the wide held belief that the transfer to Paris was mainly for the monetary value. But hear his response: “It’s not about money. Definitely not about money.
“These people don’t know anything about me. Money was never my motivation. I want to be happy, and I want my family to be happy. I’m really sad to hear that people think this way. If it was just about money, I could have gone somewhere else.
Al-Khelaifi corroborated this, saying “I can guarantee you he didn’t come for money. He could have got more money elsewhere. He came here for the competition, for the challenge.
“Today it’s very positive for us, and it’s a great moment for us. It’s headlines everywhere in the world – we’re going to talk about this transfer for a long time. He didn’t come for money, he came to win trophies. “
Ironically, Neymar Jr contributed to two of the six goals that FC Barcelona scored to eliminate PSG from the last edition of the UEFA Champions League.
Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.
Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.
The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.
-Reuters
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After Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, he became the World’s most-paid fullback.
The Moroccan international will earn a staggering €70 million in wages over his new five-year deal, cementing his status as football’s highest-paid defender.
He signed a contract extension with the French champions until 2029. The new deal adds three years to his previous contract, which was set to expire in 2026.
His net salary is increasing from €10 million to €14 million per season (€28 million gross).
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The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee and Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, is almost certain to leave the Serie A in the coming winter transfer window following interest from Premiership but the biggest interest is from Paris Saint Germaine.
The AFCON 2024 silver medal winner with Nigeria has been on the radar of the London side, West Ham United and three other sides from the league but all is more certain that the London club will find it difficult to compete for the signature of Atalanta star according to Football Insider.
Reports have suggested that the Irons are ready to swoop for the Nigeria international in the January transfer window.
However, sources say there will be “huge interest” from Europe in the 27-year-old ex-Everton star.
Paris Saint-Germain will be the frontrunner for the forward if he becomes available in the coming months.
Additionally, Lookman plays in the same area of the pitch as West Ham’s big-money summer signings Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme.
The London-born has raised his stock with his displays for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022.
He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year after leading the Italian side to a Europa League title last term.
Lookman has already hit five goals and contributed five assists in 10 games across all competitions this term.
The forward, who is under contract until June 2026, hit 17 goals and notched 10 assists in 45 appearances last season.
West Ham are unlikely to have serious funds to spend in the January window after their lavish spending in the off-season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side started slowly and sat 13th in the Premier League after nine games.
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