Barcelona and Brazil superstar Neymar is open to the idea of joining Manchester United in the future in a bid to move out of team-mate Lionel Messi’s shadow, according to La Liga expert Guillem Balague.
The Red Devils were linked with a stunning £140m move for the 23-year-old over the summer, but were ultimately unable to lure him away from the Nou Camp.
Since then numerous Barca figures have publically stated that Neymar will not be sold, while there have even been suggestions that the Catalans are willing to make him the third highest paid footballer on the planet with a staggering £500,000-per-week contract.
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However, Balague told talkSPORT that the player himself is not so certain of his future, with the presence of Messi one that could block his development as a player:
“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.”
Neymar is seen as the poster boy of Brazilian football, but at Barca he is very much a member of an, albeit extremely talented, support cast for Messi.
At United, the South American would be the undisputed star of the show, and the Manchester giants, as one of the richest clubs on the planet, could realistically fund a move.
Louis van Gaal’s side were, however, made to look a little foolish the last time they chased a marquee name in the shape of Sergio Ramos, who signed a new contract with Real Madrid earlier this year after months of links between himself and the Old Trafford side.
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