Barcelona Transfer News: €1 Billion Neymar Contract Clause Eyed, Top Rumours

Barcelona superstar Neymar is reportedly set to sign a new contract with the Blaugarana that will make him the third-highest-paid player in the world, and the Camp Nou giants are hoping to boost his buyout clause to €1 billion (£704 million).

According to Jose Felix Diaz of Spanish newspaper Marca, the Brazilian is set to be paid €15 million (£10.6 million) per season until 2021, a figure only eclipsed by those earned by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The report also indicates that, while Barcelona would like his buyout clause to be set at €1 billion, "[Neymar's] representatives don't want to see it pass the €250 million (£176 million) mark."

In his existing contract, which runs until 2018, Neymar's buyout clause is set at €180 million (£126 million).

While that is a huge fee, rumours abounded in the summer that Manchester United could be open to meeting it in order to sign the 23-year-old forward. 

Neymar has only increased his value in the current campaign with a string of superlative performances, and it is no surprise Barca are attempting to rule out the chance of losing him to another club.

While Real Madrid's Ronaldo and Barca's Messi are arguably the two best players in the world, Neymar is not far behind, and his youth makes him highly valuable.

He is likely to only get better, a frightening prospect considering his phenomenal form this season, per Squawka:

Barcelona have looked irresistible of late, and Neymar would surely be loath to move away from a club that looks as though it could win a second consecutive treble this season.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe recently named the Catalans at the top of his European rankings:

However, that may not always be the case, and further down the line a more attractive prospect may present itself to Neymar.

Barcelona can all but ensure they do not lose him by inserting a €1 billion buyout clause into his prospective new deal.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old midfielder Sergi Roberto is also set to be offered a new contract to stave off interest from Arsenal and Bayern Munich, according to Spanish publication Sport (via talkSPORT).

The Spaniard has become a more integral part of the first team this season—he has made nine starts in La Liga, per WhoScored.com—and his expected new deal will reportedly last until 2020 and include a £30 million buyout clause.

Barcelona are clearly eager to safeguard their future at the top of the European game, and tying the likes of Neymar and Roberto to new deals will go a long way toward securing their continued success.