Neymar United?
Tottenham two years ago for Gareth Bale.
Should Barcelona decide to cash in on Neymar, United are prepared to award him a five-year contract worth an incredible £75 million (RM487.5m), though the expectation is that Barcelona will reject any approach and will look to secure the 23-year-old to a new long-term contract.
The speculation comes after Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu announced that contract talks are in the pipeline, and that the player himself is very happy at the Nou Camp, having moved from Brazilian side Santos in 2013 for a reported £71.5 million (RM465m) in total.
“Those are just rumours and what people write but there is nothing to it,” Bartomeu told Catalan radio station Catalunya Radio.
“Neymar is happy at Barca. We don’t want Neymar to leave at all.
“He is a young player that has an international football projection above the norm. He has helped us a lot in our recent successes.
“In a few months’ time we will discuss his contract extension as he has three years left on his current deal.
“We want him to stay for many years, three, five, 10 or even 15 years more with us.” The forward’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, also moved to play down the possibility of a transfer earlier this week.
“There is nothing. He has three years left on his contract,” Ribeiro told Brazilian newspaper GloboEsporte. “The British newspapers are very speculative. Barcelona have never thought of selling Neymar and he is very happy there.”
United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has come under fire from United fans after failing to bring in any attacking reinforcements despite the departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.
The failure to sign Pedro, who scored on his Chelsea debut after electing to move to the London club instead, has only angered those fans more, but a move for a player of the caliber of Neymar would certainly go a long way to appeasing their concerns.
United have also been linked with a stunning swoop for Kevin De Bruyne.
Reports in Germany suggest Van Gaal is ready to hijack the £50 million (RM325m) deal in place that would see the Belgium international move to their city rivals Manchester City.
Should there be some basis in the De Bruyne reports, it could see Manchester United celebrating winning the race to sign one of the top targets in Europe. – The Independent