Manchester United Transfer News: Neymar Reveals Red Devils Talks Amid Rumours

Barcelona forward Neymar has confirmed there were talks held between himself and Manchester United in the summer as the Red Devils sought to pull off a shock deal.

The Selecao star enjoyed a tremendous 2014-15 season with the Catalan giants, establishing himself as one of the very best players in world football. But he’s revealed that didn’t stop the Premier League side making their move.

"We had conversations, but there was nothing concrete." he said to ESPN (h/t Liam Prenderville of the Daily Mirror). “I heard that there were offers but none were made to me.”

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As noted by Prenderville, plenty of major names were linked with a summer switch to the Red Devils, but Neymar was the most high-profile of the lot.

However, as reported by Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror, the Brazil skipper now seems set to pen a new deal with the Blaugrana that would see him rake in a weekly salary of £200,000.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe ran the rule over the Red Devils’ chances of bringing in the Barcelona No. 11:

It was certainly a fanciful pursuit from United. Granted, the club remains one of the biggest in world football, and as is evident by the signings of Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Bastian Schweinsteiger in recent seasons, they still possess the gravitas to attract some of the biggest names in the game.

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In the case of Neymar, 23, he’s a cut above those kind of players. Still young, still developing, he has so much more to achieve in his career with the Blaugrana and has the attributes to become the finest player in the world one day.

He’s already one of Barcelona’s most important components too, as we can see here, courtesy of Squawka:

After losing Pedro Rodriguez and Xavi in the summer transfer window, in addition to the club having their hands tied in terms of bringing in replacements because of the current transfer ban, per BBC Sport, selling Neymar would have been a very poor decision on the part of the European champions.

Still, you suspect United will come back with another sizeable offer further down the line, new contract or otherwise.

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By then, the Red Devils could be re-established back toward the summit of English and European football, especially if the likes of Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay continue to build on the early promise they’ve showcased to this point.

If a deal did go ahead, Neymar would become the crown jewel in this team.

While his talent is undeniable, there are some areas where he can improve his game, per sports journalist Rafael Hernandez:

Getting the ex-Santos man in would be a major statement for United. Not only would the fee be a world-record amount—given Neymar is a true superstar—it would show the Red Devils seriously mean business in the transfer market and, most importantly, add a tremendous new dimension to the team out on the pitch.

And yet the deal seems a long way off. With Barcelona set to offer lucrative new terms and Neymar a vital part of Barcelona’s thrilling attacking threesome alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, they’re under no obligation to let the player leave.

Given just how good he’ll become eventually, it’s tough to see why they’d want to anyway.