Ernesto Valverde Says Manchester United Are UCL 'Contenders,' Comments on Neymar

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde believes Manchester United have what it takes to challenge for the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming campaign. 

His side beat the Red Devils 1-0 in a pre-season meeting on Wednesday, with Neymar grabbing the only goal of the game. Nevertheless, speaking after the match, Valverde said he was impressed by United and backed the team to enjoy a strong 2017-18.

"Their presence by itself is impressive," he said, per Alice Piper of Sky Sports. "They impress. I think they are going to be a really hard team to beat. For me, they are contenders to win, and they are going to be hard to beat in the Premier League and the Champions League."

Valverde added he "wouldn't want to face them in the Champions League."

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The Barca boss was also quizzed on the future of Neymar, who has been linked with a world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.

"Neymar was very happy talking to his Manchester United friends outside the locker room just right now," said the Barca boss. "He is still with us." 

The Brazilian's name has certainly been on everyone's lips so far in pre-season:

United provided a stiff test for Barcelona, and manager Jose Mourinho will have been encouraged by how his side fared. The Red Devils also acquitted themselves well in a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid earlier in pre-season, a team who have won three of the last four editions of the Champions League.

It's going to be intriguing to see how United do in Europe's elite competition after a year in the UEFA Europa League, which they won. In Mourinho, they have a manager who is capable of steering a side to the latter stages of a competition and winning it, as noted by Squawka Football:

Still, for United to be in the hunt for glory, they will need improvements from a lot of their star players to complement their coach's acumen.

Pre-season has shown there is potential for individuals to make those gains, though. In Romelu Lukaku the Red Devils have landed a goal machine, while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have also looked sharp in recent matches. But Paul Pogba is the player most will have their eyes on.

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The Frenchman is the man United will want to control games; after an indifferent debut campaign, he's been excellent in pre-season and has plenty of fans excited about what he could accomplish in the coming months.

Even so, United have a long way to go before they reach the heights scaled by the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG, should they sign Neymar.