CR7 punts Man U to Neymar

CRISTIANO Ronaldo,

pictured, is believed to have urged his Brazilian rival Neymar not to quit Barcelona this summer, and only switch the Spanish giants for Manchester United.

The Real Madrid icon has a close relationship with Neymar due to their shared commitments with sponsorship giants Nike, and the Portuguese star is believed to have sent a message to his counterpart advising him on the situation.

Neymar appears to be on the verge of quitting Barcelona for French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who are happy to meet the incredible £197 million (R3.3bn) buy-out clause of the player.

In a deal which would see Neymar dispose United’s Paul Pogba to become comfortably the most expensive footballer in the history of the game, PSG are also reported to be willing to pay the Brazilian star £500 000 per week.

But the reigning world Footballer of the Year Ronaldo has chosen to give his rival a little bit of useful counsel, as reported by Spanish media outlet Diariogol.

The title reported that Ronaldo has told Neymar it would be a mistake to leave the Catalan club, particularly to make a downward step to a smaller European side. Ronaldo is said to have outlined only one possible destination for the Brazilian should he choose to turn his back on Barca ... Manchester United.

The Red Devils are one of the few clubs in the world who match Barcelona in terms of stature, global fan base and sheer spending power.

Ronaldo spent a hugely successful six years in Manchester, from 2003 to 2009, developing into one of the finest players in world football under the guidance of the revered Sir Alex Ferguson who has since retired. The Neymar saga looks set to serve up plenty more twists and turns before the transfer window slams shut, but one man who is convinced the mercurial forward will stay at the Camp Nou is his teammate, defender Gerard Pique.

The Catalan star took to social media on Sunday night to post an image of himself with Neymar, along with the caption Se queda – roughly translating to ‘He stays.’ Contradictory reports in the French and Spanish press had suggested both that the deal is done, and that the Brazilian has decided to stay at Barca.

But Pique’s intervention is the clearest suggestion yet that the Brazilians striker may have called off what would have been a world record move. – Daily Mail and The Independent