Barcelona Transfer News: Neymar Contract 'Barrier' Reported Amid United Rumours

Barcelona will do everything in their power to convince fan favourite Neymar to extend his contract at Camp Nou, but it's supposed the Blaugrana's salary cap "is the single barrier" in their bid to extend his deal.

That's according to Javier Miguel and Javier Giraldo of Spanish newspaper Sport, who explained Barcelona's salary cap should account for between 55 per cent and 70 per cent of their total income. When quizzed on the salary figures and Neymar's prospective extension, technical director Robert Fernandez said:

"

These are issues that the board should evaluate and see what the top salary is. It's an issue that we will solve soon. We'll talk with the father. We are very calm because everything that the player and his people convey, is that they want a continuation. And we want to continue. We must find a formula so that everyone wins.

I will not start on the years and the amounts, or whether he will be the second highest paid because those are issues that the board should evaluate.

"

Without taking Pedro's summer sale to Chelsea into account, Barcelona's salary bill currently stands at 66.8 per cent of the club's overall income, which has to also pay for its other sport institutions, such as basketball and handball.

Neymar was linked with a surprise move to Manchester United over the summer, but the player came out to dismiss those reports personally when speaking to Spanish broadcaster TV3 (h/t the MailOnline's Martin Domin:

"I want to stay at Barcelona, no matter how many million pound offers come from England. The people from Barca can be calm. When I hear things like this, I don't think anything. I just heard it and I am calm. I am very happy at Barca and with my colleagues."

Neymar was an integral piece of the Barcelona attack last season, as the Brazilian helped march his club to a European and domestic treble alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Barcastuff cited a report from Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that stated Neymar's father, Neymar Santos, will soon visit Catalonia to discuss a new deal for his son:

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Neymar's father will next week return to Barcelona after a stay of two months in Brazil. First informal renewal talks will start. [md]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) September 1, 2015"

The Premier League is going through a difficult patch in terms of being able to attract the elite of world football in recent years—such as Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom have been lured to La Liga.

However, while Premier League clubs are obligated to meet financial fair play constraints, a club such as United may be more hopeful of offering Neymar higher wages at the very least.

According to Sport, Neymar's camp is expecting a substantial increase in wages too, after he scored 54 goals in his first 93 outings for the Spanish titans, per Brazil Stats:

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Neymar asked Barça to raise his salary from €8.8M to €14M in the new contract. Ending top 3 in BD could help. [sport] pic.twitter.com/kyYWuh1Pbv

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) August 31, 2015"

Neymar only moved to Catalonia in 2013, so the club are by no means panicking to extend his deal just yet, but Neymar's desire to match the sums earned by team-mate Messi may begin to poke through in future.

If United were to attempt a move for the Selecao superstar, talkSPORT explained his buyout clause stands at €190 million, with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu quoted telling Catalunya Radio:

"

Those are just rumours and what people write but there is nothing to it. 

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.

"

With the player expressing his own happiness at the club, Barca will be calm in their ability to shuffle the numbers and ensure they can accommodate Neymar's new contract while still falling within the salary cap.

Still, that won't prevent his suitors from raising their interest, safe in the knowledge wages on offer may be the one edge they hold over the reigning champions of Europe.