It seems an outlandish question, but it perhaps perfectly underscores the radical unpredictability Real Madrid's transfer ban has thrown into the winter market: "Neymar rather than Cristiano Ronaldo to PSG?"
That is the headline popular French sports daily L'Equipe ran with on Friday, writing the chances of Cristiano Ronaldo heading to Paris Saint-Germain are "shrinking" with the ban imposed on Madrid. It has been long thought Paris might make an attractive next step to Ronald, offering the chance to keep feasting on goals in the lightly challenging French Ligue 1 with continued inroads to strive for Champions League glory.
Read more: Andy Mitten's La Liga in focus highlights Dani Alves and his enduring importance to Barcelona
In this way it was thought freespending, Qatar-owned PSG, looking to take a major step up in Europe, and Ronaldo were a perfect match. But Fifa's ban has scuppered all plans, with L'Equipe saying it poses a "significant risk of thwarting the Parisians from attracting the Portuguese star next summer". The paper has posited it could lead Paris to looking toward Neymar or Robert Lewandowski.
Either of those moves, of course, more probably represent aspiration rather than realistic ambition. Neymar has been linked to just about every big club outside Spain, where tax troubles have led to speculation that he could leave Barcelona. But in the midst of a breakout season and with Barca coming off a five-title 2015 behind a historic frontline including the young Brazilian, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, it is hard to imagine any such move. And, so far, there have yet to be any real public indications Barcelona would indeed actually sell Neymar.
It is doubly unclear why Bayern Munich would sell Lewandowski, who has been at times perhaps the most dangerous striker in the world this season.
But as Marca reports, the noise out of Paris is yet another indication that Real Madrid's "uncertain future" is throwing the world market out of whack.
Under the headline “Real Madrid squad sits tight” and the tagline “no players heading for exit door” the Spanish paper writes the club are “not looking to offload any players” until the cloud has cleared.
In addition to the halt to any potential Ronaldo move, the paper cites less-publicised rumours like a Manchester City play for Isco flatlining under the current conditions. Any dreams Manchester United might hold for Gareth Bale, too, are highly likely to be dashed.
The club, it seems, are determined to "not let any key players join other clubs while uncertainty lingers" as Marca puts it.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, says he believes the ban will be “fixed”. Referring to his roots in the Spanish capital and the fact that two of his sons, who play in the Madrid academy, were among 39 players investigated by Fifa in the course of imposing sanctions, Zidane said: “It seems absurd because they have lived their whole lives here in Madrid with family and it will be fixed.
“The most important thing is that we know what has happened now. I think it will be fixed with time and next week we won’t speak of this anymore.”
The atmosphere of uncertainty swirls around Real Madrid as they try to overcome a middling patch of play that sees them two points behind Barcelona with an extra game played in La Liga, and four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
Southampton
Southampton have bolstered their attacking options by signing striker Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers, the Premier League club announced on Saturday.
Austin, 26, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £4 million (Dh21m).
Austin was the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League last season with 18 goals, but he could not prevent QPR being relegated to the Championship. In total he scored 48 goals for QPR in 89 games.
“I’m delighted to have got it over the line so soon into January. I can’t wait to get started now,” Austin told the Southampton website.
“As soon as Southampton showed an interest, that was the one club I wanted to go to. You see the progression from when I was playing against Southampton for Swindon.
“For me, it was important to come to a club that’s on the up and that’s what I’ve got here.”
*Agence France-Presse
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