Julio Baptista thinks Neymar could be the key to Arsenal becoming Premier League champions again.
Neymar is facing questions surrounding his future at PSG. After failing to convince his demanding fans in Paris, the 31-year-old Brazilian forward may decide it’s time to take on a new challenge.
Neymar has seen Lionel Messi leave the Parc des Princes and it is likely that Kylian Mbappe will follow in the footsteps of his senior. PSG could have another remarkable separation when Neymar, the most expensive player in football history (222 million euros), is considering his options.
Julio Baptista, a former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder, thinks Neymar could be a wise addition to coach Mikel Arteta amid rumors that the Brazilian striker is looking for a new challenge in the Premier League.
New start
Baptista, a former Brazilian midfielder, told Goal when asked what advice Neymar would give Neymar if his juniors asked about the future: “It’s interesting. I think Neymar feels comfortable at PSG, but perhaps the best thing for him. he’s creating a new atmosphere at a new club. It could be a club that supports and gives him the confidence he needs. Neymar doesn’t have that at PSG. The fans don’t like him very much and maybe it’s time to try something different. Why not?”.
‘Could be the key to completing everything at Arsenal’
Asked if Neymar would be a useful signing for Arsenal, Baptista replied: “Why not? Arsenal is one of the top clubs in Europe. We know that in the last eight years or so, Arsenal haven’t been at their best or as competitive as they used to be. But now with Arteta, Arsenal have created something different. They have begun to build a new strong squad. Perhaps this is the key. In Brazil we say: ‘When you have a house, you have everything and only need the key to open it’. Maybe Neymar is the key that opens and completes everything at Arsenal. He is an incredible player.”
Familiar face
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are three Brazilian players who regularly start for Arsenal. When asked if their presence would make it easier for Neymar to adapt at the Emirates Stadium, Baptista said: “Certainly. But more than that, I think the league will help Neymar. If Neymar is thinking about a move If he goes, I think the best league for him will be the Premier League.”
Regain the joy
Neymar is one of the most exciting players in the world of football when he shines, but he needs to feel appreciated to perform to his full potential. Like Ronaldinho, Neymar wants to play with a smile on his face.
When asked if Neymar could get that joy back, Baptista replied: “If you don’t feel comfortable at one club, that’s when you should move on. You should move somewhere else and find the happiness you find yourself in. Maybe Neymar is not happy at PSG and he should try to find happiness elsewhere.”
In early May, many PSG fans gathered in front of the club’s headquarters to protest against Messi because the Argentine superstar left the training session to go to Saudi Arabia to serve as a tourist ambassador. They chanted insults to Messi in unison. Other stars like Neymar, Verratti (criminal in PSG’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16), coach Christophe Galtier or President Nasser Al Khelaifi were also asked to leave.
After a protest against Messi at PSG headquarters, a group of fans continued to move to Neymar’s home to ask the Brazilian striker to leave the club. At that time, Neymar was in the process of recovering from an ankle injury and could not return to play until the end of the 2022/23 season. This striker did not perform as expected, but in the summer of 2022, PSG still had to activate the automatic extension clause with him until 2025.
Neymar is interested in some big clubs, but the obstacle for them is that he is earning a very high salary at PSG (about 49 million euros/season). Except for PSG, perhaps only Saudi Arabian clubs and MLS can meet this salary for Neymar.
Trossard shines, Arsenal beat Barcelona
On the morning of July 27, Arsenal defeated Barcelona in a match with 8 goals in the US.
Although it was only a pre-season friendly, both Barcelona and Arsenal entered the game very determined and continuously made tit-for-tat ball situations.
In the 8th minute, Barcelona opened the scoring after Lewandowski’s close-range ball. Just 4 minutes later, Arsenal had a 1-1 equalizer by Bukayo Saka.
In the 34th minute, Raphinha gave Barcelona a 2-1 lead from a free-kick that hit the fence, causing goalkeeper Ramsdale to fail to react. The Gunners had a 2-2 equalizer in the 42nd minute after Kai Havertz’s kick in the penalty area.
Entering the second half, both Barcelona and Arsenal had personnel changes and the game situation changed.
In the 56th minute, Trossard raised the score to 3-2 for the Gunners after a classy finish outside the round of 16m50 with his left foot.
Continuing the excitement, coach Mikel Arteta’s army continued to have a goal to increase the score to 4-2 in the 78th minute. The scorer this time was still Trossard with an extremely fast volley.
In the remaining minutes, each club had one more goal from Ferran Torres and Fabio Vieira to close the match with a 5-3 aggregate victory for Arsenal.
