Manchester United Transfer News: £140M Neymar Bid Reported, Latest Rumours

Rumours of Manchester United's reported interest in Barcelona star Neymar continue to surface, as Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte (h/t Daily Mirror) became the latest to suggest the Red Devils are willing to trigger the forward's astronomical release clause of £140 million.

Manager Louis van Gaal is reportedly looking to add another forward to the squad following the current group's poor start to the Premier League campaign, and speculation that player could be Neymar has dominated headlines the past couple of days.

While most fans and pundits seem to agree Neymar is unlikely to leave the Camp Nou anytime soon, not everyone agrees. The Brazil international is part of arguably the top attacking unit in the world, teaming up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and the fact he's not the biggest star of them all could push him toward the exit door, per the Daily Mail's Adrian Durham.

Globo Esporte's report acknowledges the 23-year-old is yet to give any indication he's unhappy with the Blaugrana, however, and a move remains highly unlikely. Kevin Palmer of the Sunday World had this to say:

Sport Witness noticed Spanish media haven't been paying much attention to the story, either:

According to Sky Sports' Guillem Balague, Neymar has been negotiating a new contract with the Catalans, which may explain the timing of these rumours.

It also may not be a coincidence that these reports have surfaced right after Pedro moved to Chelsea, having been linked with a move to Old Trafford for most of the summer, per the Daily Mail's Oliver Holt.

The Blaugrana have scoffed at the possibility of Neymar leaving the club, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu even told reporters he wants the Brazilian to retire at the Camp Nou, via the Sun's Shaun Custis: “Neymar feels great at Barca. We’ll have renewal talks later. We want him to stay for years and even to retire here.”

It's difficult to see how any deal could be made before the end of the transfer window, given the magnitude of this particular move. Not only is there a ridiculous amount of money involved―£240 million in total, per Custis―but it's also a major decision for Neymar, who probably hadn't given the possibility of leaving Barcelona a lot of thought.

Nothing's stopping the Mancunians from triggering the release clause and seeing what happens, however. Even if the move is unlikely, there's no harm in making the offer and seeing how Neymar responds.

Fans shouldn't get their hopes up, however, per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:

Van Gaal will have to turn elsewhere if he wishes to add another forward. If he doesn't, Belgium international Adnan Januzaj will not leave the club on loan, per the Daily Mail's Simon Jones.

Januzaj has seen a surprising amount of playing time early this season and never seemed likely to leave on loan, regardless of the club's transfer activity. German newspaper Bild (h/t FourFourTwo's Alex Chaffer) suggested Borussia Dortmund were still interested, however.

Jon Super/Associated Press

The 20-year-old struggled to find regular minutes last season, starting just seven Premier League matches, per WhoScored.com.

When he was given the chance to show what he could do, he often looked rusty, a far cry from the special talent fans had embraced a year before. It seemed as if the 2014-15 season was a wasted season as far as his development went, leading to speculation he could be loaned out this summer.

Januzaj has bounced back to start the 2015-16 campaign, however, and ESPN FC's Janusz Michallik is happy he never left the club:

Confidence can make or break a young player, and while the Belgian still has much to learn, he can only improve with regular minutes. He's been a valuable member of the squad so far this season, so it's hard to see where these latest loan rumours are coming from.

Perhaps the arrival of another forward could change the situation, but even then, Van Gaal is unlikely to ship out the youngster at the risk of damaging the depth of his squad.

Follow @ReverschPass