Klopp’s Dismay Over Neymar Transfer Saga Is A Funny Irony
Reuters / Andrew Boyers
Jurgen Klopp is disenchanted by the news that Neymar will be signing for PSG after the Ligue 1 club met the 25-year-old’s release clause of £199m.
The German coach remains perturbed by the fact that a club like PSG, with a modest revenue, can more than double the world record transfer fee. The former Dortmund boss hit out at FIFA’s feeble fair play policy regulations that have no control over these kind of signings that involve such a massive amount of money.
“I thought FFP was made so situations like that could not happen,” he said, before raising concerns that such things are not good for the game of football going forward. While doing so, he made it very clear that the monopoly that certain clubs hold today will only make things a lot worse for the future of the game.
“There are only two clubs who can pay transfer fees like that – Manchester City and PSG, and everyone knows that,” Klopp further added.
The Liverpool manager also conferred that he hopes that this Neymar deal is just an exception to the violation of FIFA’s fair play policy, or else, it could have dire consequences on other clubs who cannot match up with the finances that a few clubs in Europe have at their disposal.
While Klopp made complete sense with whatever he said, there is a funny irony that looms behind every word uttered by the German. Liverpool themselves have been the mill throughout the summer, and have already broken their personal transfer record when they got Mohamed Salah on board from Roma.
REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke
Having said that, it was also reported that the Reds were chasing RB Leipzig talisman Naby Keita, and were ready to shell out as much as £66m for his services. Then, there was news that they were also behind Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, and were ready to pay around £60m for his services.
While these transfer don’t necessarily match the magnanimity of Neymar’s move to Parc des Princes, it is a sad reminder to all of us as to how the modern game is shaping up to be.
Premier League clubs have a loaded kitty due to an enormous TV deal, and they themselves are not shying away from breaking the bank to land the player of their choice. Everton’s uncharacteristically busy summer also echoes this fact in unison.
Moreover, Klopp’s frustration on the Neymar deal can also be because of another major reason. If Neymar makes the switch, the German stands a chance to lose his prodigy Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, as the Catalan giants see the Brazilian as a suitable replacement for his outgoing compatriot.
To sum all this up, this transfer window has been a harsh reminder of the power of money in the modern game. Neymar will earn £54 every minute if he moves to the French capital, which signifies the fact that this summer has not been a sunny one for the beautiful game, as dark clouds of capitalism loom over it more than ever.
Written by Soumyarendra Barik 
Feels that every year is going to be Bayern Munich’s. Started off as a broadcast journalist with NDTV, but his love for writing brings him to the online world. A staunch believer!