Neymar: how the record-breaking €222m move to PSG unfolded

By:Julien Laurens | The Guardian |

Sometimes, life is as simple as a phone call. In Neymar and PSG’s case, it was indeed a phone call that made the biggest transfer in football history possible. After three weeks of negotiations, brainstormings, discussions and arguments, the Parisians welcomed the Brazilian superstar on Friday. And like every transfer, the inside story is the most fascinating aspect.

Neymar is a Paris Saint-Germain player, a sentence that the French club never thought people would say. It was a dream that looked unreachable, unfeasible.

PSG had tried hard last summer. They thought they had their man, one of those superstars they have been chasing for years. Instead, they were shocked when the Brazilian told them that he had changed his mind and he was signing a new deal with Barcelona.

PSG felt used, and were used, but they moved on quickly. This summer, they had forgotten about Neymar. In order of interest, their main targets were Kylian Mbappé, Alexis Sánchez, Philippe Coutinho or Sergio Agüero. They thought their nemesis was staying put. But one call changed everything.

Read more: The Guardian