The Neymar Effect : A fantasy future based on the world’s record transfer fee

Neymar posing with in his new PSG kit at the Parc de Princes. Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images Europe

Neymar’s world record transfer is sure to have a ripple effect on football for years to come.

However, if one were to speculate and build a fantasy world, what domino effect would this transfer really have on Europe’s top leagues?

For a select number of clubs, we can only imagine….

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The Transfer Window

Real Madrid have noticed that Barcelona has just been weakened and push to sign

Why the Champions League will be open and more competitive than previous years

Not many would have disagreed with Arsene Wenger. His observation seemed spot on, his assertion quite right on the money. For the 2013-2014 Champions League season, Bayern Munich were the favourites.

In fact, as Wenger aptly put it, they were the super favourites.

And that truly showed in the opening rounds — especially against Manchester City. At the Etihad Stadium, Bayern Munich out-passed and outplayed the Citizens. It seemed then as if the Bavarian club was on course to achieve the unachievable. Maybe, they could become the first club in the Champions League era to defend the European Cup.

But laboured wins against Arsenal and Manchester United in the knock out rounds brought about a sense of

Arsenal and Dortmund Light Up the Champions League

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scores the opener

Rarely is a Champions League group stage game of such overall quality and of such high significance.

That could be because of a seeding system that precludes the Champions League draw. The rationale for seeding is to keep the giants away from each other so that less superior teams get eliminated early on. It thus forms the truism of Champions League football. The more it progresses, the more exciting it becomes as big teams clash in titanic battles.

For the fan however, it forms a somewhat anti-climactic opening