Goals, assists and non-achievements: Five years of Neymar at PSG

It felt like a historic moment in European football.

In August 2017, Paris Saint-Germain forced Barcelona to give up one of their prized assets when they triggered Neymar's €222m release clause, seemingly signaling a power shift more traditional European towards the French giants.

However, it was not so simple in the five years that followed.

Barca haven't won a Champions League since Neymar's departure, but neither has PSG, and the Catalan club can likely point to wider issues as to why their trophy has dried up these days. lately, like how badly they spent all the money they got for him.

The Brazil international remains the most expensive footballer in history, even though his transfer signaled a general explosion of fees at the highest level of the game, but was it worth it for PSG?

Half a decade since he swapped Spain for France, Stats Perform took a look back at Neymar's five years in Paris.

Goodbye Barca

Neymar's name first appeared when he was called up to Brazil's squad for the 2010 World Cup aged just 18. Immediate comparisons were drawn to Ronaldo, who was taken to the 1994 World Cup by the Selecao at a young age, going on to become one of the greatest strikers the game has ever seen.

The new kid on the block was clearly a different type of player to the legendary striker, but Neymar's moves and tricks at Santos got onlookers excited enough for all of Europe to try to sign him, with Barca winning the race in 2013.

Neymar went on to be part of a legendary top three at Camp Nou alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, winning two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and the Champions League in 2014-15.

In his four years at Barca he was directly involved in 164 goals in 186 appearances (105 goals, 59 assists), and in his final season in Spain Neymar was the only player in the top five European leagues to record 20 or more in goals (20) and assists (21) in all competitions.

So it was a blow when PSG arrived and took him away in 2017.

Life in Paris

Despite being in Paris a year longer than Barcelona, ​​Neymar has so far played 42 fewer games for PSG than at Barca, with 156 goals (102 goals, 54 assists) to his credit in 144. appearances in all competitions.

The Brazil international was largely ruthless, converting 52.9% of his big chances, ahead of Mbappe (46.4%) and Messi (26.1%).

He made an impressive start, scoring 28 goals in 30 games in his first season, followed by 23 in 28 the next.

However, his lack of availability has often been a problem, seemingly unable to stay in shape long enough to truly dominate over the course of a season.

That being said, Neymar currently sits fifth in the club's all-time leading goalscorers, but far behind team-mate Kylian Mbappe (171), who has become the face of PSG's current squad, especially now that he committed his future to the club after signing a new contract in May.

On the surface, you'd say these numbers suggest Neymar has been a relative success at the Parc des Princes, especially as he's also won four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France trophies and twice the defunct League Cup.

However, you can't really talk about Neymar or PSG without talking about Champions League ambitions.

Having ironically been at the center of PSG's embarrassing exit at the hands of Barca just months before leaving the latter for the first in 2017, it was hoped the addition of Neymar would tip the scales in favor of the club. Ligue 1 side as they sought to lift Europe's most prestigious award for the first time.

As things stand, they have only reached one final, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in 2020, and they again suffered a humiliating collapse against Spanish opposition last season as they crashed out against eventual champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. , despite taking a 2-0 aggregate lead going into the second half of the second leg.

After the loss, PSG fans turned their anger on Neymar, believing the superstar hadn't done enough to prevent their elimination, but he wasn't the only one receiving boos from his own supporters, a well-regarded Argentinian being also partly despised.

Friends reunited

Since Neymar left Barcelona, ​​barely a transfer window has passed without him being linked with a return to Camp Nou, with suggestions that Messi wants to play with his former partner in crime again .

What many didn't see coming was that they would indeed be reunited, but not in La Liga.

Barca's inability to give Messi a new contract after the league imposed financial restrictions on them in 2021 meant he had to leave, with PSG waiting with...