5 reasons why Neymar's €222m transfer from Barcelona to PSG could really happen

Just when we thought the transfer market had utterly lost its mind with the kind of deals that were penned in the initial weeks, the story of Paris Saint-Germain's bid to sign Barcelona star Neymar broke. Boom!

Not only would it be a record-breaking move but the transfer fee would be more than twice the current record fee. Paul Pogba's £89.6m move to Manchester United seems like pittance compared to Neymar's release clause of £197m (€222m) which PSG are ready to activate.

So will this transfer actually go ahead? Here's why it could.

1) PSG's offer is too good to turn down for both Barcelona and Neymar

PSG offer Neymar — PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi

As much as it may seem like Barcelona are doing well for themselves, the truth is far from the perceived notion that one of the most iconic clubs in the world is in the pink of health.

Off the pitch, Barcelona are close to being run aground by the combined incompetence of the last two presidents - Sandro Rossell and Josep Bartomeu. Although the club recorded revenues of €708m in 2016/17, they recorded a profit of only €18m after tax. The club still has a debt of €247m.

They are currently flirting with the danger zone after Lionel Messi signed a lucrative contract extension. The club could be in a position where they have no choice but to sell a major player if they are to sign others to ensure the balance sheet does not see red.

PSG have no option but to pay the release clause as Barcelona have absolutely no intention of selling Neymar otherwise. But they know they are getting a world-class player that they can even use as a marketing tool aside from just winning trophies.

It's not just a good deal for the club but Neymar also stands to make a lot more in wages if he moves to Paris. The Brazilian currently earns approximately £290,000 per week at the Camp Nou and the Ligue 1 club is ready to offer him a lot more - maybe even enough to put him in the same bracket as Lionel Messi.

2) Get out from under Lionel Messi's shadow

Neymar Messi Barcelona — Neymar will always play second fiddle to Messi at Barcelona

Neymar and Lionel Messi are on friendly terms, there is no denying that. There is no enmity between them and, since the arrival of Luis Suarez, the trio have formed a close bond that saw the club win a treble in 2014/15. MSN have also dragged the club to the finish line in the last couple of years as the rest of the squad struggled.

But Neymar knows that at the Camp Nou, he will never be the main man as long as Messi is in the side. The Argentine forward is the club's talisman and top dog.

As much as Neymar has been deemed the heir to his throne, he will only be the crown prince - at least for another five years or so depending on how long Messi can prolong his career. He just turned 30 after all.

When Neymar arrived in Europe, he was still a bit raw despite his well-publicised exploits in Brazil. But over time, he has developed into a world beater and is arguably the third-best player in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.

He finished third in the 2015 Ballon d'Or race but looked like a lucky fan who got to share the stage with Ronaldo and Messi instead of being considered a serious contender (he won less than 8% of the votes that year).

Being the star attraction at PSG would help his cause a great deal.

3) PSG's project looks much more promising compared to Barcelona

PSG project — PSG have an exciting squad compared to Barcelona

Ever since Qatar Sports Investments took over the club in 2011, they have ambitiously pursued every trophy on offer and splurged in the transfer market despite the threat of Financial Fair Play. The club has since decimated the competition in Ligue 1 - a league that had five different champions in as many years before PSG won four consecutive league titles.

But the Champions League trophy still eludes the club that has never got past the quarter-final hurdle. Domestic quadruples mean nothing anymore to a club that dreams of European glory.

However, the signs look promising now. The club has built a squad worthy of challenging on all fronts with the more recent arrivals of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler and Dani Alves to add to a squad that has Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani at its core.

Neymar's addition would make them the ultimate dark horses for the Champions League (provided Unai Emery proves he is a capable manager who knows how to get the best out of them).

In contrast, Barcelona's squad needs heavy investment and their new recruits have been expensive flops. Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer are nowhere close to challenging for spots in the starting lineup while Andres Iniesta is probably entering the final year of his Barcelona career).

The fact that the club are chasing players such as Paulinho, a Tottenham reject who is currently in the Chinese Super League, only serves to highlight the sorry state of affairs at the club.

4) The Brazilian contingent in Paris

Neymar Brazil squad — Neymar, Alves and Silva - for country and club?

Esporte Interativo, the publication that broke the news of PSG's plans to sign Neymar, claimed that the Brazilian feels lonely in Barcelona due to the lack of fellow countrymen at the club. The only other Brazilian on Barcelona's books last season was Rafinha.

When Neymar first arrived at the club, he had a mentor and friend in the form of Dani Alves. The full-back has since moved on but the two remain good friends to this day. One couldn't help but smile when Alves comforted a teary-eyed Neymar after Juventus eliminated Barcelona in the Champions League last season.

Dani Alves PSG — Dani Alves had his Juventus contract terminated before moving to PSG this summer

Alves also surprised fans with his transfer to PSG when he looked destined to reunite with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. While the French club offered him a lot more in wages, the Neymar bid now makes one think that the capture of Alves was not just to do with his quality on the pitch but something more.

PSG's team now has four Brazilians - Alves, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Lucas Moura - all of whom have played with Neymar in the Brazilian national team.

Neymar would be the fifth Brazilian in the squad if he were to sign - surrounded by friends and teammates he knows very well as opposed to his current situation at Barcelona.

5) Spanish tax issues could force exit

Neymar Spain tax fraud case — The Spanish tax fraud case took its toll on Neymar's familyNeymar is not the only La Liga player to have been embroiled in a tax scandal in Spain but his case has been one of the most high-profile ones in the country. In the Brazilian's case, it has to do with unpaid taxes over his transfer from Santos to Barcelona.

Although he was officially signed for €57.1m, his actual fee is closer to €86.2m when investigations revealed that two companies owned by his parents received millions in payments that required them to pay €9.1m in taxes.

Prosecutors wanted a two-year jail term for Neymar and numerous appeals from the club and the player's side were rejected. While first offenders in non-violent crimes do not have to rot in a Spanish jail if the sentence is two years or less, he will be liable to pay a hefty fine instead.

Neymar may or may not have been complicit in the entire ordeal (it's hard to see how a 21-year-old could have orchestrated such complicated deals). Nevertheless, it is a saga that deeply hurt Neymar and his father (who is probably more culpable in this case).

"I do not want to talk about persecution but if we don’t have a comfortable situation to work we can not stay in Spain," he had said last year when a contract renewal was mooted.