Neymar left convinced his future is with Real Madrid

Posted Saturday, February 17, 2018 by Marca.com

Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 defeat at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu did little to dissuade Neymar from the belief that his future is at Real Madrid.

The Brazilian was inevitably asked the question after the final whistle and he couldn't avoid smiling, he couldn't help his natural reaction.

He stepped onto the famous pitch in the Spanish capital with the intention of showing everybody just what he can do and how he'd be an asset to the defending European champions.

Whilst he wasn't as influential as many expected, there were flashes of brilliance and spectacular skill, his backheel assist for Adrien Rabiot's opening goal was a thing of sheer beauty.

All the gestures the ex-Barcelona star received throughout his time back in Spain were positive, those who had once viewed him as an enemy were now greeting him with smiles and embraces, it was an attempt to make him feel at home.

If Neymar had any remaining reservations about how he'd be received as the latest Galactico of the Florentino Perez era, then Wednesday evening's experience will have quashed them.

Real Madrid know Neymar is their target, he is the chosen one as it were, and whilst a transfer will be incredibly difficult the club are ready to make a move.

Many believe that it will not be until 2019 when the French club will agree to a sale. This is now a matter of pride for PSG's Qatari ownership and there is not a figure in the world that could persuade them to sell if they feel it would make their project appear weak and unattractive.

Paris Saint-Germain had previously been interested in Cristiano Ronaldo however the veteran's increasingly unlikely departure means that he won't be part of any deal.

It's worth mentioning that neither Neymar nor Ronaldo see it as impossible that they could share the stage in Madrid.

Whilst the circus surrounding the potential transfer continues to grow, PSG coach Unai Emery has bigger problems.

The Spaniard was left furious at the officiating in Wednesday's first leg, yet elimination from the tournament at this stage will almost certainly see him lose his job.

Despite the pressure upon him to secure a result, the former Sevilla coach made bold decisions in leaving Angel Di Maria and Thiago Silva out of the starting line-up, crucially both of these decisions weren't understood by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the man in charge at the Parisian club.