"It would be great for Ronaldo to have Neymar by his side" - Rivaldo
Rivaldo believes that Neymar would help Ronaldo with "a lot with assists and goals" if the PSG star were to join him at Juventus.
Messi or Ronaldo? The age-old question has recently been given a new slant in relation to Neymar, and which one he could play alongside next season.
The wantaway PSG star already worked with Messi during his four seasons at Barcelona, the club which apparently remains in pole position to sign him and is his number one preference.
However, Juventus have reportedly entered the race for the Brazilian ace in recent days, leaving many to ponder the tantalizing possibility of him hooking up with fellow lusophone Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin – including compatriot and former Barca great, Rivaldo.
“It would be great to see him playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. I believe it would be wonderful for CR7 to have Neymar by his side, as the Brazilian would help him a lot with assists and goals all season,” Rivaldo told Betfair.
“I even imagine them combining for brilliant plays and Neymar could also help by sharing responsibilities as Juventus only has one big star now. It would be a beneficial move for the players and naturally for the club.
“With Neymar wishing to leave PSG, it will be important that a transfer is complete before deadline day at the end of the month, after all it would be tough for him to stay in France.”
Coutinho’s Barcelona departure disappointing
Neymar’s Brazil team mate Philippe Coutinho had from early on been identified as a possible makeweight for Barcelona in a Neymar deal with PSG. However, the ex-Liverpool player eventually ended up joining Bayern Munich on loan.
His move to Germany has come after the 27-year-old winger failed to light up Camp Nou since joining from Liverpool for 145 million euros in 2018. His poor performance and perceived lack of effort had led him to become the subject of jeering from some sections of the Barcelona stadium, prompting the player's eagerness seek a fresh start elsewhere.
Speaking about Coutinho, Rivaldo admitted that his departure from Barcelona was both disappointing and understandable, while also highlighting the difficulty players have in finding their place in a team where Lionel Messi “constantly takes all the credit and responsibility”.
“I always believed that Philippe Coutinho had the ability to be a success at Barcelona, but things were taking too much time and both parties agreed on a transfer to Bayern Munich,” said the ex-Barca player.
“I'm a little disappointed about his failure in gaining a regular place in the first team, but perhaps he was no longer confident about it and unhappy, so he opted for a move to another big club trying to finally recover his best football from his time at Liverpool.”
Gareth Bale could be given another chance at Real Madrid
Another player, of course, whose relationship with home fans has struggled as a result of an apparent lack of effort and string of underwhelming performances is Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale.
The Welshman was tipped to leave the Bernabéu this summer, with coach Zinedine Zidane even admitting publically that he wanted to see the player move on.
However with no exit now in sight for Bale and following his impressive performance in Madrid’s 3-1 victory against Celta Vigo in the opening LaLiga weekend, Rivaldo believes that Zidane could be open to giving the unwanted winger another opportunity to prove himself at the Bernabéu.
“Gareth Bale was a surprise starter for Real Madrid's first match in La Liga after being virtually out of the club, and he actually made a good impression in the game, proving his value as a player one more time and showing how important he can be for the club,” he said.
“Perhaps Zinedine Zidane has decided to give him another opportunity because of Bale's attitude in training or matches, his commitment to the club or for situations in the locker room, and Bale took advantage of that by producing a solid performance in Vigo and confirming that he is a good and valuable player to Real Madrid.”