All not well at PSG? Is Neymar 'moving away' from old pal Mbappe to be friends with Messi?

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have had an eventful 2021-22 season so far, as their side was bolstered with some of the biggest names in global football like legendary footballer Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Football enthusiasts predicted PSG would stomp upon other challengers with the squad in the current season, however, Mauricio Pochettino has had problems of his own with the squad to deal with. As per a report by L’Equipe, as translated by Marca, high-profile arrivals of the above-mentioned players in the summer transfer window 2021 were not in Pochettino’s plans and have contributed to causing a split in the dressing room which already consisted of stars like Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe. 

The report states that there is a split in the PSG camp between the French and South American players, which has impacted Mbappe’s decision to stay with the club. The lack of stability in the dressing room has reportedly convinced Mbappe to not renew his contract with the club. At the same time, Neymar’s attitude has been questioned at PSG as it is believed the Brazilian star is not comfortable at the club, ever since the lavish summer spending, which saw his Barcelona teammate join the French outfit. The report further stated that the most expensive player in the club’s history didn’t attend a mandatory signing ceremony with some of PSG’s sponsors which almost prompted the team to punish him. Looking at the current PSG dressing room scenes, it may be possible that Neymar's changed attitude after Messi's arrival may have caused a possible rift in his friendship with Mbappe.

How have Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, and Kylian Mbappe have performed in the 2021-22 season?

The Argentine legend Lionel Messi has scored a total of six goals in the sixteen matches he has played for PSG in the Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League tournament in the 2021 season. Out of the six, Messi has scored five goals in five UCL matches. Meanwhile, Neymar Jr. has played 10 Ligue 1 matches in the season and has found the goal three times only. He hasn’t opened his goal tally in the Champions League till now. At the same time, Mbappe has scored a total of 15 goals out of the 24 matches he has played for PSG in the current season, across competitions.

Image: AP