According to reports from The Sun, Manchester City and Manchester United will throw everything into a ferocious transfer battle for Barcelona star Neymar next summer.
The Brazil international has flourished into one of world football’s leading entities since moving to the Nou Camp from Santos in summer 2013. He came third in the voting for the latest Ballon d’Or and produced a level of form unrivalled throughout the planet during Lionel Messi’s injury layoff earlier this season.
But the 23-year-old forward’s Barcelona future remains in jeopardy with a contract extending his stay past summer 2018 yet to materialise – something which Sky Sports’ La Liga correspondent Guillem Balague claims is partly due to the Catalan club being unable to afford new deals for Neymar, Luis Suarez and Messi at this moment in time.
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It was recently revealed by the player’s father and agent that Manchester United attempted to bring Neymar to Old Trafford last summer by activating his staggering £144million release clause and he is still very much at the forefront of the Red Devils’ transfer plans. But The Sun claim Manchester City will look to kick off the Pep Guardiola era by swooping for the South American, which could see an incredible transfer battle erupt between the two Premier League powerhouses next summer.
The British tabloid allege that both clubs want to make Neymar their new ‘poster boy’ and are not only prepared to pay his release clause in full, but also throw in the added incentive of a £1million per week contract. That would make the former Santos starlet the most expensive player of all time AND the best-paid player of all time, in a transfer The Sun claim could ‘shape English football for the foreseeable future’.
However, United won’t stand much of a chance of signing Neymar if they miss out on Champions League qualification this season. Louis van Gaal’s side are currently six points away from fourth spot in the Premier League.