If you were so inclined to look at Neymar's situation in Paris with a cynical eye, you could reach the conclusion that the whole situation has been a smokescreen masking the intentions of a few interested parties.
With the Brazilian looking ever more likely to depart Paris St Germain well less than a year after joining, Real Madrid remain the only plausible option for Neymar.
Although his departure appears more certain at the moment than any actual destination, the inevitable issues that would have arisen had Neymar pushed for a move to Madrid from Barcelona almost appear preferable to the reported hell the Brazilian man has gone through.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, five months in Paris "have felt like five years":
The 26-year-old has told friends of his discontent towards the violence of rivals players, permissive refereeing, the poor state of opposition pitches, and the fact that PSG players stay in hotels before matches.
Some rational concerns, and some less so, it is these practical elements that really catch the eye:
Neymar does not like the bus journeys that the PSG squad embark on due to the relative proximity of a lot of opponents.
Nor does he like that the squad stay in a hotel together in the days leading up to matches. At Barcelona, the players would meet up on the day of the game.
Although one would suggest that Neymar's preference for life at Barcelona should have perhaps overrun his determination to leave the club in the first place, it is understood that "Nasser Al Khelaifi, the PSG president, traveled to Brazil this week to visit Neymar."
Hoping to persuade his record-breaking transfer to remain with the club, the likelihood remains that Madrid is his preferred home.
What that potentially means for a host of their stars is unclear. If Neymar found life difficult at Barcelona, one wonders how far Cristiano Ronaldo would go to assert his hold on things in the face of such attention.
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