Neymar's UCL heartache, Barcelona transfer interest and what happens next

Few could sum up Paris Saint-Germain's desperation to win the Champions League better than their former captain Thiago Silva.

In 2018, after the Ligue 1 giants had been knocked out by Real Madrid at the last-16 knockout stage. But Silva remained upbeat: “We all want to win the Champions League quickly. PSG need to digest this disappointment but it’s certain that we will continue with patience to build a team that will win in the future. It’s a process in time but I’m sure PSG will win it.”

With every season that passes by, Neymar might just believe his compatriot a little less.

The Brazilian shocked the football world when, in 2017, he announced he would be leaving Barcelona to join PSG in a world-record €222 million (£198m) transfer.

It was symbolic of the changing guard in European football. PSG and Manchester City were taking on the superpowers, stripping away their talent piece by piece. They wanted the glory and history their peers claimed they would never have.

On Tuesday, it was Man  City who finally reached the promised land. Some 13 years since Sheikh Mansour took control of the club, they were Champions League finalists for the first time at PSG’s expense.

This semi-final was a billed as clash of the new elite, the oil-rich billionaires from the Middle East who have defined and rewritten football history with their financial investment. With Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Marquinhos and Marco Verratti all featuring, this tie had the glamour and an abundance of talent of show.

PSG had the knowledge of how to reach the final but lost out to Bayern Munich and it was too much to bear for a tearful Neymar. But after their latest European exit, they are somehow even further away from capturing the elusive crown.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were already down and out when Riyad Mahrez scored twice at the Etihad Stadium to make it 4-1 on aggregate, and the visitors began to let their frustrations boil over.

Angel Di Maria was sent off for aiming an obvious kick at Fernandinho, while Leandro Paredes was lucky not to join him after launching the ball at Phil Foden while he was down on the ground. Neymar took it upon himself to rescue some pride, but ended up reacting to every nibble from Fernandinho as if it were a personal attack.

These acts of petulance were borne out of frustration rather than viciousness, and the pain that seeped out at the final whistle was clear to see for every PSG player — but none more so than Neymar. The 29-year-old seems to be acutely aware that time is no longer on his side.

There was an air of confusion and betrayal in Barcelona when Neymar departed, with many left to wonder why at the peak of his career, he would want to leave. Some questioned his ambitions, dismissing it as an act of greed and egotism.

The common view was that he felt he would always be in Messi's shadow at Barcelona and he wanted his chance to make history elsewhere.

That would ultimately centre on two ambitious but achievable goals: win the Ballon d’Or and lead PSG to Champions League glory. Four years on, he is yet to succeed on either count.

It’s not for the want of trying; only Mbappe and Erling Haaland have bettered his return of six goals and two assists in the competition this season. But with the French star only fit enough to make the bench against Man City, it was left to Neymar to inspire his side — and it simply was not his night.

Prior to the first leg, Pep Guardiola had recalled how he thought the winger was the “king” at his boyhood club Santos. Even if the Catalan does tend to wax lyrical about every half-decent player he comes across, there’s a sense his awe was genuine.

But the most interesting comment Guardiola made was after speaking in glowing terms about the ‘MSN’ - Messi, Suarez and Neymar, the deadly triumvirate. Guardiola was clear in his prediction that had the latter remained at Camp Nou, he would have had more Champions League trophies to join the solitary title he won in 2015 with the Blaugrana.

“If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona, they would have won two or three Champions League more,” he said.

“Him, [Lionel] Messi and [Luis] Suarez were the best up front. He makes football a pleasure.”

There came a time where Guardiola’s theory was nearly put to the test. Neymar publicly stated his unhappiness with life at the Parc des Princes, just 18 months after leaving for Paris, and was desperate to return to Barca. Messi wanted Neymar back, but after he turned his back on the club, did the hierarchy?

It soon became apparent that Neymar would not be leaving for any price and, after already signing his replacement in Ousmane Dembele following his exit, Barca splashed out on Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. Their way of saying: “Thanks, but no thanks”.

The situation has since changed, with Neymar telling RMC Sport in April that he feels “really happy” in Paris and that talks over a new contract — tying him to the club until 2026 — were “almost settled”.

But once again, whispers of interest from Barcelona may well have turned his head.

With only a year left to run on his current deal, Neymar knows a transfer fee is no longer an obstacle if he desires another spell in Catalonia. In all honesty, Barca may not be able to afford his salary due to their alarming levels of debt. A lot could depend on Messi, whose deal expires this summer and as of yet, there is no indication the Argentine maestro will be staying at the club.

But should Barca make their move, PSG’s latest failure in the Champions League could be the final straw in helping Neymar decide where his future lies. It was a dream he thought money could buy — perhaps it’s now time for the Brazilian to return to reality.