Neymar's father shared insights on the reasons for his son's transition from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. He emphasized that Neymar made the decision to change his clubs due to the challenging situation at the club.
According to his father, there was an impression at Barcelona that the club wanted Neymar to be a replacement for Lionel Messi, but the player did not aspire to that role.
He decided to leave, to go somewhere else. I wanted my son to stay at Barca. Until the last days, we tried to keep him from leaving. But he left because he didn’t want to take Messi’s position and be Barca’s biggest star.
Neymar's father on the Jota Jota Podcast
The Brazilian played for PSG from 2017 to 2023. During his time with the club, he participated in 173 matches, scoring 118 goals and providing 77 assists.
Earlier, reports indicated that Neymar might transfer to Inter Miami, where Messi currently plays. The player himself admitted that his best sporting years were spent at PSG.