Neymar-Cavani war: the 1,000,000 euro question
The battle between the PSG strikers is motivated in part by Cavani's €1M bonus if he's top scorer in Ligue 1.
Cavani and Neymar, two-thirds of PSG's strike-force, have always been motivated by goals. And right now the hunger of both of them to see the ball in the back of the net has seen tensions mounting, with the pair fighting over who gets to take the penalties and free-kicks, with the pressure spilling over to their teammates, some of whom appear to be taking sides.
Top scorer bonus fuelling Neymar-Cavani war
And while some have speculated that the war has broken out for the desire to be on the front pages of the newspapers, or the need to defend their position (Cavani) or a desire to mark their new territory (Neymar), French newspaper L'Equipe reckons that a 1,000,000 euro bonus could be part of the problem.
The newspaper says that Cavani has a bonus clause in his contract, under which he'll receive one million euros in addition to his salary if he finishes the season as top scorer in the French top flight. What's not known is whether Neymar too has a similar clause.
Cavani was top scorer in France last season
What's certain is that Cavani picked up his bonus last season, scoring 35 goals in 36 games to be top scorer in Ligue 1. That was Cavani's first season out of the shadow of Ibrahimovic, who previously had banked 1.5 million euros for the same feat.
A million euros on the line for Cavani
Cavani would have had high expectations of being top scorer in the French league this season, but the arrival of Neymar has put the pressure right on. Cavani has seven goals in six games, but Neymar is hot on his heels with four in five. Hence Cavani's refusal to cede the ball at penalties and his desire to stop Neymar taking the free-kicks. There's a million euros on the line.
