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Soccer

Report: Barcelona president insists Neymar is staying put

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu attempted to swat away rumours that Neymar will leave to become top dog at Paris Saint-Germain, allegedly telling BBC Sport that he’s going nowhere.

Bartomeu’s insistence followed reports that PSG had met the Brazilian’s €222-million release clause at the Camp Nou, which could incredibly be a cut-price fee. The amount that clubs will have to stump up to pry Neymar from Barca is set to rise with each of year of his contract that expires in 2021.

Bartomeu’s warning to PSG backed the words of his colleague at Barcelona, vice-president Jordi Mestre, who insisted Neymar is “200 percent” staying with the Blaugrana on Tuesday.

Although a transfer for such an exorbitant amount – comfortably over double the cost of the world’s most expensive player, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba – would seem unlikely to materialise, there are several aspects that make it feasible.

PSG is desperate to re-establish itself as France’s great force after Monaco took its Ligue 1 crown and reached the semi-final of the Champions League last campaign. Backed by Qatari owners, no player is beyond Les Parisiens’ financial means, as evidenced by the acquisitions of Javier Pastore, Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, David Luiz, Angel Di Maria, and Julian Draxler in each of the past six seasons. This term has yet to see its expensive marquee purchase.

Then there’s Neymar’s status in Catalonia. He could’ve been unsettled by the Spanish investigation related to financial irregularities surrounding his 2013 transfer from Santos, but there are also on-field matters. He’s blessed to be part of one of the most frightening attacking triumvirates in club history – the 25-year-old regularly partners Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez – but it’s perhaps Barca’s embarrassment of riches up top that prevents him from winning the greatest individual prizes.

“You can’t be FIFA World Player of the Year if you’re not even the outstanding player in your own team,” South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Sport.

“I think it’s absolutely no coincidence that this speculation has emerged shortly after the news that Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona.”

Neymar himself was quoted Tuesday declaring he’s content at Barca and claiming that last season – when he scored his lowest amount of league goals (13) since the 2013-14 term – was his most fruitful.

“The last one was my best season in Barcelona. I am very adapted to the city, the club and I am happy here. That is reflected on the performance of an athlete,” Neymar told Goal in response to a question initially sent to him the previous week.

“It was the season where I felt more comfortable, even though we did not win the titles we would have wanted. We played great games and lived incredible moments. Now, we need to work for the 2017-18 season so it will be even more positive individually and as a group.”

In a transfer window that’s closely followed the futures of Antoine Griezmann, Alexis Sanchez, and many other huge names, it’s the potential next step of Neymar’s career that appears likely to dominate the back pages for some time yet.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

NFL

Third tag wouldn't be a charm for Kirk Cousins, Redskins

The Kirk Cousins saga was briefly interrupted Monday when he and the Washington Redskins failed to strike a long-term deal. Barring the unlikely scenario of an in-season trade, the dance will resume in the offseason, with Cousins hitting free agency a strong possibility. Unless, of course, there’s another tag placed on him.

The lesson Washington must learn: If you truly want a player to re-sign, don’t wait until late in the game to make what would have been a strong offer a few months earlier. Cousins did debate countering but in the end he said he wanted to see how this season goes because of numerous changes to the organization.

Here are the four options in 2018 and, based on talking to numerous people, why they do or don’t make sense:

Kirk Cousins’ contract could occupy about 20 percent of the Redskins’ salary-cap space in 2018 if he is placed under the franchise tag for a third time. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

A third franchise tag: This would cost $34.5 million, which likely makes this an unrealistic scenario. The benefit, though, is that the Redskins would control his rights. If the Redskins feel there’s any shot at retaining him, they could tag him and negotiate without any future tag numbers impacting their talks, as has been the case. But if they don’t strike a deal, it’ll be a costly maneuver.

Or, they could tag and trade him. Cousins would have to work out a long-term contract with another team. But if there’s no trade — and no long-term deal — the Redskins would be stuck with a hefty bill that, if the salary cap rises by $10 million or so, would occupy nearly 20 percent of the space. That’s bad business. They also have 11 other key starters or backups in the last year of their deal, so if Cousins played a third year under the tag it would cost them the ability to retain multiple players.

The transition tag: This would enable Washington, which would owe Cousins $28.7 million under the transition tag, to match any offer from other teams. But there’s a problem: The offer could be too tough to match. The Redskins will have plenty of cap space — overthecap.com projects them at $54 million — so they could absorb a massive first-year hit on a new deal. However, as noted in the franchise-tag section, it would prohibit the Redskins from re-signing some of their other players. San Francisco, in need of a long-term starting quarterback, projects to have around $49 million in cap space. Those numbers don’t include possible carryover space from 2017 or players who could be released.

The 49ers — or another team — could make a heavily front-loaded deal with a player opt-out clause for the second year, much like the deal Alex Mack signed three years ago when under the transition tag with Cleveland. A year later, he opted out and bolted. If the Redskins matched such an offer, they would do so knowing Cousins could simply leave in 2019. It becomes an expensive one-year rental. However, if he opted out and signed elsewhere, the Redskins would receive a compensatory draft pick. If they fail to match the original offer, they wouldn’t receive compensation. If Cousins doesn’t get the offer he wants, or from the team he wants, he could always sign the tag and do this dance all over again in 2019.

Re-signing before free agency: This is tough to see happening. Real tough. Cousins said he wasn’t bothered by general manager Bruce Allen’s statement and knew it was coming, but suffice to say it went further than anticipated and did not sit well. If nothing else it stalled momentum from the previous two months that would have helped next offseason. Will that matter in February? Who knows. It could be viewed as a continuation of the perception of how things are handled in Washington. Regardless, how Allen continues to steer the franchise will matter. So will the relationship between Cousins and Gruden when it comes to how they mesh in the playcaller-QB dynamic. So will how the offense fares with two new prominent receivers. The season would have to go really well to the point both sides realize they’re better off together than apart in order to get something done. There are things both sides really like about the other; but it hasn’t been enough to work anything out to date. It’s not all on the Redskins, though. For them to pay the money it would take to sign Cousins pre-free agency, they’d have to see a whole lot this season — and the team had better reach the playoffs. The best guess here: He won’t sign at this point, opting to let them either use another tag or hit free agency. It’s not impossible for him to return, but a lot must break right.

Free agency: If neither tag is a great option and if signing before free agency would be considered a long shot (as of now), then this is the most likely (and desired) outcome. In this case, the Redskins would be bidding against multiple teams and, as you could imagine, there will be no hometown discount. Washington would not be out of the running, but the Redskins also wouldn’t be the favorite. Again, a lot depends on how the season unfolds. Cousins’ value would be set without the threat of a future tag. With good quarterbacks rarely hitting the open market, there likely would be multiple suitors. Yes, the 49ers would be one of them, but they won’t be alone. And it could reach numbers that make the dollar amounts bandied about in 2016 and ’17 seem like a bargain. If Cousins leaves in free agency, the Redskins’ parting gift would be a compensatory pick in 2019.

Soccer

Report: PSG to hold Neymar talks after triggering €222M release clause

Jun Sato / WireImage / Getty

Paris Saint-Germain is quietly confident of undergoing successful talks with Neymar’s father on Wednesday or Thursday after meeting Barcelona’s €222-million release clause for the Brazilian, reports the Guardian’s Julien Laurens.

Leading figures in the Barca hierarchy have insisted the 25-year-old won’t be leaving the Camp Nou this summer, but PSG is now taking the next step in capturing Neymar. His cost would be over double the current world-record transfer fee Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.

Les Parisiens thought they were close to signing Neymar last summer, only for the forward to use their interest to earn a better contract in Catalonia. For that reason, PSG isn’t getting carried away but has been encouraged by recent developments.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Neymar’s chances of lifting himself above Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s finest player are slim when he’s trying to out-sparkle Messi and Luis Suarez in the Blaugrana’s famed three-pronged attack. His opportunities to win the top individual awards were also lessened when Messi agreed to sign a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, amid apparent interest from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

For PSG, unveiling Neymar in a blockbuster move would vault the club into the upper echelons of the world game. Each of the last six seasons since PSG shuffled under Qatari ownership has featured an expensive, eye-catching addition, but this summer has yet to deliver on that trend. Neymar would roundly trump anything that’s happened before, thrusting PSG into the world’s consciousness not only through his on-field artistry, but through his huge marketing value.

And although PSG is blessed with several household names – Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani, and Julian Draxler are on the payroll – Neymar would certainly be the top man in the French capital, just as he was at Santos in Brazil. He would be expected to play protagonist in claiming back the Ligue 1 crown from Monaco, and to help PSG reach at least the semi-final stage of the Champions League for the first time since 1995.

NFL

Cousins needs time, content with 1-year deal

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said a deal was closer than people realize, but ultimately he chose not to counter the team’s latest offer — and is content, once again, to play on a one-year deal.

During his paid appearance Tuesday on 106.7 The Fan, Cousins also said he wasn’t bothered by Redskins president Bruce Allen’s statement Monday. Cousins reiterated that his first choice would be to remain in Washington long-term. He also laughed off how Allen pronounces his first name, making it sound like he’s saying “Kurt” instead of “Kirk.”

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Ultimately, though, Cousins said he wants to use this season to gauge the direction of the franchise.

“I felt I needed more time,” Cousins said. “I want to get more information about the organization. There have been a lot of chances since the end of last season. I want time to help make this decision.”

Cousins will make $23.9 million under the franchise tag this season after the Redskins failed to secure a deal by the July 17 deadline. He becomes the first quarterback to play consecutive seasons on the franchise tag.

Cousins, who will turn 29 next month, said he still views Washington as the place he wants to be.

“One narrative is if I don’t sign a deal this July, I won’t be here beyond this season,” Cousins told The Fan. “I don’t believe that to be true.” Cousins said if the Redskins put together a successful season, “why would I want to look elsewhere?”

After the deadline, Allen delivered a statement that said the Redskins offered Cousins a contract with $53 million in fully guaranteed money — and $72 million guaranteed for injury. That guarantee included the money he’ll make this year under the tag. But, by playing on his one-year deal, Cousins could make a lot more in the future. Allen also pointed out how “despite our repeated attempts, we have not received any offer from Kirk’s agent this year.”

“I’ve been called Kurt my entire life. I remember having different teachers and instructors who would call me Kurt. It doesn’t matter. It’s not a big deal. Trust me, it’s probably not as big an issue as some make it out to be.”

QB Kirk Cousins, on pronunciation of name by Redskins president Bruce Allen

Cousins said he wasn’t bothered by the statement.

“I understand where they’re coming from,” Cousins said. “In his position, they have to do that and be clear where the offer was and that they did their part. It’s a great starting point. It’s a fair offer. I respect and appreciate Bruce’s approach. He communicated to me that they need to let the story be known and I said I totally understand that. I knew something like that was coming out. It didn’t offend or bother me.”

Cousins said that Allen’s way of saying “Kirk” doesn’t bother him either. A team spokesman said Allen simply says it that way because of his accent.

“I’ve been called Kurt my entire life,” Cousins said. “I remember having different teachers and instructors who would call me Kurt. It doesn’t matter. It’s not a big deal. Trust me, it’s probably not as big an issue as some make it out to be.”

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Soccer