Paris Saint-Germain(PSG) has been riding high since the beginning of the French domestic season but is there Trouble In Paradise for coach Unai Emery? When Neymar signed on with the French giants for a world record fee of 222 million euros, it was understood that they intended to maximize his potential by building a team around his talents. Neymar would become the 'alpha dog' in a very rich club in their quest to become successful on the European stage. Things started off well but it seems that there is someone who isn't quite on board with the shift in power and leadership of this PSG team.
Neymar's transfer from Barcelona
Neymar is considered by many to be one of the top three players in the world. He was a part of a very successful Barcelona attacking trio but in his quest to become the best in the world, he opted to move away from the shadows of Messi. It was the most controversial and most talked about transfer of the 2017/2018 transfer window and saw the Brazilian golden boy lose many Catalan fans. With the Fifa World Cup coming up in 2018, it was also a chance for Neymar to play in the same capacity that he would for his national team as the leader and center of attention. Couple that with the chance to play with some of his fellow Brazilian nationals and PSG had Neymar sold.
Since this move, many consider Brazil to be the favorites to win the 2018 World Cup.
Cavani's role and relevance
Edinson Cavani is on his own quest to gain form and head into the World Cup playing the best he could. With the departure of former PSG talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cavani looked set to be the center of all PSG attacks, the proverbial target man.
Since the arrival of Neymar, that has not been the case. In their latest league match against Olympique Lyonnaise, the couple was seen having a disagreement over who hits an in-game set piece. It is reported that Neymar wanted to hit the penalty but Cavani shut down his request. The penalty was subsequently saved by Lyon's goalkeeper.
The way Cavani sees it, the only way to remain relevant in the team that is having a massive power shift is to keep scoring goals and it seems that's what he intends to do at all costs.
Domestic woes: Behind the scenes
Reports surfaced that PSG captain Thiago Silva had to stop Neymar and Cavani from a physical fight in the change room after the match. Although we are not certain of how true it is, this would likely mean a move away from Paris for Cavani in January. Coach Unai Emery said that he told the duo to figure it out but seemed reluctant to make a decision saying that he would also like them to take penalties alternately. The general feeling is that Emery cannot manage the egos within his team but it is best for everyone that he makes a decision and takes control.
Fellow Brazilian, Dani Alves also made a move to the club in the summer and he was spotted taking sides with Neymar in the matter; taking the ball from Cavani to give it to Neymar.
The end result of this entire thing may not be nice. It's either Cavani lets go of his ego and allows Neymar to be or he may have to find another team come January. PSG had a world record agreement with Neymar and it would be counter-productive for them to go back on this agreement. Unai Emery needs to be sterner and command the respect and control of his team. It sends a really bad message that he can't even make a decision for the betterment of his team. Reports surfaced that Neymar wants the Uruguayan forward to be sold. Whether or not this happens and/or if the duo is able to coexist in the interim is left to be seen. It continues to be smooth sailing with Neymar and PSG's big loan signing Kylian Mbappe.
