Neymar open to partnering Ibrahimovic at PSG

ESPN FC is reporting that Neymar would be open to a move to French giants PSG as he stated, “Paris is a beautiful city…Ibrahimovic is one of the best players in the world today and I dream to play with major players.” Seeing Neymar line up next to Ibrahimovic would cause opposing defenders to cower in fear and give PSG the most potent attacking duo in the world.

In theory, the tactic of pairing an agile speedster with a hulking forward should be an ideal strike pairing. Certain scenarios would play into each striker’s benefit: on a counter attack the quick forward could be released and fly down the field, while the big striker could hold the ball up and bring teammates into play or turn and blast a shot past the goalkeeper. One would be hard-pressed to find a duo that could even come close to replicating what Neymar and Ibrahimovic would be able to do on the field and the only ones that come to mind involve the world’s best player- Leo Messi.

The major criticism of this proposed move is that both players need the ball and have been widely criticized for being “selfish” players. Ibrahimovic has garnered much of this throughout his career, but as he’s gotten older, one can frequently see him drifting towards the edge of box, holding the ball and waiting to make the incisive pass to his on-rushing teammates. Neymar is still 20 years old and playing with Santos has put him in situations where he feels as though he has to do it all by himself; however, with a squad full of world-class talent like PSG, Neymar would be effective in link-up play.
If this move were to materialize, it would likely not be until the summer as Santos would be keen to hold on to their prized asset for as long as possible; especially considering interest in the Brazilian will not wane. Real Madrid and Barcelona are notably tracking his every move and Barca were touted as the most likely destination for Neymar as the prospect of pairing Neymar and Messi would make football fans salivate. PSG has the money Santos wants and Santos has the player PSG wants, so we’ll have to wait and see where one of football’s brightest stars lands.