Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Neymar and Ricardo Rodriguez Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly among a number of clubs keeping a close eye on Neymar's contract negotiations with Barcelona, amid rumours the Catalans may not be able to give into the player's salary demands.

According to Francesc Perearnau of Catalan-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo (h/t Metro's Mark Brus), the Red Devils, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are all willing to trigger Neymar's massive £134 million buyout clause in case Barcelona can't come to an agreement with the forward.

Former club president Joan Laporta recently claimed the Catalans' decision to sell the likes of Pedro, Alexis Sanchez and Gerard Deulofeu was made out of necessity, as the club's financial numbers aren't nearly as good as current president Josep Maria Bartomeu pretends them to be, via Mundo Deportivo (h/t Daily Express' Joe Short).

While it seems unlikely the Blaugrana would entertain the idea of selling Neymar anytime soon, it's hard not to notice there has been no movement in the ongoing contract negotiations since Sport (h/t Inside Spanish Football's Jamie Kemp) first reported the two sides had opened talks back in 2014.

Rumours he may be unhappy playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi continue to persist, and Sky Sport's Guillem Balague couldn't rule out a transfer during a recent interview with The Sports Bar, via talkSPORT's Adam Jones:

"

Neymar feels if he stays there [Barcelona] he won’t be the number one in the world.

He has placed himself in the equation [a move to Manchester United] for the last few months.

Neymar is actually thinking ‘what can I do next?’ because Messi is 28 and he’ll be there for a few more years so Neymar will not be allowed to grow.

"

At the age of 23, Neymar is the youngest of Barcelona's three attacking stars, so his value is at least as great as that of Messi and Luis Suarez. In all likelihood, Barcelona would want to keep him in Catalonia for the next decade and build the team around him once the other two start to decline or leave the club.

This is where the buyout clause comes into play. As explained by Nikhil Srivastava of Sportskeeda, Spanish buyout clauses are not to be confused with release clauses, and because a buyout clause is subject to taxation, the eventual transfer fee would be far greater than £134 million should Barcelona not agree to a transfer fee and hold out for the full clause.

PSG, Real and United could all afford such a ridiculous fee, and given Neymar's standing as one of the world's best players, there's little doubt he would be well worth the price. His marketing value in his native Brazil is so great, it probably wouldn't even take the buying club that long to earn the fee back.

None of this means Neymar will actually leave Barcelona―he still hasn't given any indication he wants to leave, and he's still taking to the club about a new deal. But when even Catalan newspapers confirm contract negotiations are going badly, United have every reason to pay attention and perhaps even keep their chequebook in reach.

United Back in for Ricardo Rodriguez?

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According to Simon Jones of MailOnline, the Red Devils are once again keeping tabs on Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, who was frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford until talented youngster Luke Shaw started to find his best form.

Shaw's horrific knee injury suffered earlier this season has reignited rumours the club could be looking for left-back options, with Leicester City starlet Ben Chilwell named as another possibility.

Rodriguez remains the top prize, however. The Swiss international has been one of the world's best and most versatile left-backs for the last couple of seasons, but for some reason, he's still playing his trade for Wolfsburg.

The 23-year-old seems more than ready for a move to a top club, and that big transfer seems like it's only a matter of time. The player's agent, Gianluca Di Domenico, previously confirmed United had been in touch regarding a transfer, per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Metro's Jon Harvey).

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Red Devils are still keeping an eye on Rodriguez, particularly with Shaw sidelined for the foreseeable future, but the England international's emergence as one of the best young full-backs in the Premier League complicates matters.

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United don't need a long-term starter, and their priority in January should be an immediate-impact option, preferably with Premier League experience.

Adding Rodriguez and building a healthy competition between him and Shaw could be an ideal solution, but one has to wonder why the Wolfsburg man would agree to such a move when he could be an automatic starter elsewhere.

United have some question marks in attack and out on the wing, so it would make little sense to blow a ton of money on another left-back, knowing full well that need will disappear once Shaw returns to the pitch.

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