Reports: Barcelona superstar considering Premier League move
What’s the story?
Neymar is reportedly considering a switch to Manchester United or Chelsea this summer according to Sunday Times. The English publication claim that the Barcelona star has told his friends that the Premier League sides are in talks with him.
Reports last week suggested that both the Premier League teams were ready to activate his €200 million release clause. Real Madrid were also linked with a move for the Brazilian with Diario Gol reporting that Florentino Perez was keen on signing him.
In case you didn’t know...
Neymar joined Barcelona in 2013 and has already notched up 100 goals for them. The forward has linked up well with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to form a formidable trio up front for the Catalan side.
The transfer from Santos to the Spanish giants has been a rather controversial one and is still being disputed in the court. He snubbed interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid despite the two sides offering a lot more to the Brazilian club and the player.
The heart of the matter
Neymar recently admitted his interest in joining a Premier League side soon, and from then, the English sides have been linked with a move for him. “The Premier League is a championship that amazes me. I like the playing style and the teams. And who knows, someday, I would like to play at it, yes. I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool — these are the teams that are always there fighting. And then you have high-level coaches like Mourinho and Guardiola. These are coaches with whom any player would like to work." said the Brazilian
Reports last week suggested that Jose Mourinho has been personally calling Neymar to convince him to join Manchester United. The Old Trafford side have been tracking Antonie Griezmann for some time, but with the Frenchman not willing to move to Manchester, they have set their sights on signing Neymar.
Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovic is a big fan of the Barcelona star and was desperate to sign him during his Santos days. He's keen on breaking the bank to get the Brazilian to Stamford Bridge but the manager, Antonio Conte has opted not to sign him.
Conte wants to use the transfer funds wisely and sign 2-3 players for the amount Roman intends to pay for Neymar. The manager believes he can get Alexis Sanchez, Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku for the same amount and make the Blues' a better side.
What’s next?
Barcelona are set to have a tough time as three clubs are willing to activate the release clause in Neymar's contract. With the player admitting that he wants to play in the Premier League, it would be even harder for them to hold on to the Brazilian.
Author’s Take
Neymar would be a great addition to the Premier League it would make it even more exciting to watch. Just wish Messi also thought the same way and made a cheeky move to England before he retires.