Neymar Da Silva Santos Junior’s life didn’t seem as though it could get any better. The 25-year-old forward was playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for FC Barcelona, one of the best teams in world soccer.

Neymar shined in his 2016-2017 campaign with 24 goals and 24 assists in just 51 starts. With a record like that, dozens of clubs would surely be seeking his signature, but it seemed highly unlikely that he would put pen to paper with any club besides the Catalan giants.

A couple weeks after the season, however, rumors started floating around that Paris Saint-Germain were eyeing a shock transfer deal for the superstar. As unlikely as it seemed, the deal was finalized in the beginning of August.

The Brazilian’s 222 million euro transfer to the French giants has the soccer world convinced that for the right price, no player is out of reach.

PSG weren’t finished after the signing of Neymar, however. Only a couple weeks later, they completed the signing of 18-year-old French superstar Kylian Mbappe in a deal worth 180 million euros.  

The players got off to a brilliant start for their new club, both scoring in their debut appearances. Their instant success has not only brought PSG to the top of the French Ligue 1 table but also made soccer fans worldwide wonder if money really can buy success.

376 miles away, in Manchester, England, the same questions are being asked about two teams. Neither Manchester United nor Manchester City are unfamiliar with domestic success, however, the last time a Manchester club won the Premier League was in 2014.

During the transfer window of summer 2017, Man. City spent over 242 million euros on players to strengthen their squad while Man. United spent over 160 million euros.

Since their recent investments, both clubs have climbed to the top of the Premier League and are currently sitting in first and second place.

Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all in top form right now and seem to be unstoppable. Is this just a mere coincidence or the product of pure business?