Barcelona Transfer News: Neymar Contract to Fall Short of Lionel Messi Terms

Barcelona are ready to offer Brazilian star forward Neymar a new deal, making him the second-highest paid member of the squad, behind Lionel Messi. The improved deal should bring an end to any and all transfer speculation that has surfaced in the past week, via Marca's Luis F. Rojo.

According to Rojo, the Blaugrana have informed Neymar's father, who acts as his agent, they would like to get the deal done “sooner rather than later” amid reports Neymar Sr. has yet to engage in any serious talks.

On Tuesday, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed he was eager to keep Neymar at the club for years to come, via the UEFA Champions League's official Twitter account:

Reports Manchester United may be willing to spend an enormous amount of cash to bring the 23-year-old to Old Trafford have surfaced in the past few days, with some reporters even suggesting the Red Devils would be willing to spend up to £240 million, including wages, via the Sun's Shaun Custis.

While most fans and reporters openly mocked the rumours, the news Barcelona and Neymar are planning contract talks actually gave some credence to the reports. The Brazil international wouldn't be the first to use ongoing transfer speculation and strong links to a different club to his advantage in such a scenario.

As shared by Bleacher Report UK's Tim Collins, it happened to United before with Sergio Ramos, during this very window:

Improved contract terms and higher release clauses are the easiest ways to silence transfer rumours, and going into his third full season with the Catalans, Neymar has proven himself worthy of the lofty investment the club made back in 2013.

He's a global superstar and the biggest name in Brazilian football, adding value to the table as one of the most marketable players on the planet. More importantly, he's been a success on the pitch.

Luis Suarez and Messi should be around for years to come, but Neymar represents the future of Barcelona, the big star to take over as the face of the club once Messi starts to regress or decides to retire.

That's exactly the kind of player you want to sign to a long-term deal at any cost, so expect the Blaugrana to be quite willing when it comes to Neymar's demands.

These negotiations are likely to carry on for months, given the magnitude of this deal, and while there's no reason to suggest Neymar will hold out until he makes as much as Messi does, he and his father will hold most of the cards.

Follow @ReverschPass