Neymar's spell at PSG, which began in August, has been a rocky and interesting one. There's been some highs that include dashing performances and a couple more lows than most probably expected. The latest reported development from Neymar's stint in Paris is a massive pay raise request.
According to The London Times, Neymar wants $1.39 million per week ($72.28M yearly wage) to stay at PSG after meeting with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in Brazil, where the player is recovering from foot surgery that is expected to keep him out until May.
It's just one event in a long line of them since the Brazilian departed Barcelona for France. Here's all that has happened since he arrived and what this means for both the player and the club:
The Cavani 'feud'
Neymar has seemed to clash a bit with PSG star striker Edinson Cavani when it comes to the penalty kick and free-kick duties. It caused a bit of tension in the squad and really it seems like more of a headache than anything else, nothing any manager would want to deal it.
Take a look at the early season issue:
The injury
The biggest bit of news was Neymar's injury, which occurred in late February against Marseille. The player ended up having surgery to fix a fracture in his pinkie toe, and it even raised concerns as to whether he would be fit for this summer's World Cup in Russia.
It was a huge blow to PSG's season when it came to the hope of conquering Europe. See below.
The Champions League failure
PSG was returning home to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie set for early March, and that's when he got hurt against Marseille and missed out on the second leg. Without him, PSG couldn't overcome the 3-1 deficit from the first leg and was eliminated from the competition in a year where it looked like as good of a contender as any team in the tournament.
The financial demands
On top of this, there's the financial demands with reported interested from Real Madrid. And it feels like something PSG will have to put up with if they want to keep him. It isn't ideal having your highest-paid player demand more money, but it's something that isn't uncommon in the sport throughout the world, especially Europe.
Current contract
Neymar's move to PSG for $273 million comes without a release clause, according to a lawyer who represented the deal, per AS. And his contract is believed to be in the region of $45 million per season.
So without a release clause, if he were to leave, it would have to be on a free transfer with an expired contract or an agreed upon transfer fee between PSG and another club.
Champions League glory or nothing
In the end, we'll have to see if this move is ever worth it for the Parisian club. There have been a few headaches, but the production has been there. He has 28 goals in 30 games for the club and has looked every part of one the world's best players.
If he does end up moving to Real Madrid for a much higher price than they paid, then it would be some good business. But for all the drama, and reported demands, if Neymar doesn't guide PSG to Champions League glory, it will feel like a move that was never really worth it in the end.
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