Reports: Manchester United plotting €200 million move for Barcelona superstar
What’s the story?
According to Sport, Mourinho is trying his best to convince Neymar to join Manchester United. He has been regularly calling the Brazil international to get him on course to a stunning switch to Old Trafford.
The United manager has reportedly promised Neymar that they are prepared to pay his £173m release clause to sign him. If they do make that bid, it will be breaking their current world transfer record. Red Devils are also ready to double Neymar's salary to £21.6m-per-season after tax.
In case you didn’t know...
Neymar has been having a tough time at Barcelona because of the off-field issues. He's been in a lot of tax related matters and has been summoned by the court on a lot of occasions.
The Brazilian been linked with a move away from Camp Nou for some time and this summer might be the one where he finally moves. Reports last week suggested that Barcelona agreed a €180 million deal with Chelsea for the forward, but Antonio Conte vetoed the move.
The Chelsea manager wants to strengthen other areas with that money and is not willing to spend so much on one player.
The heart of the matter
Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Neymar in the summer to bolster their attack. The Brazilian is seen as a long-term prospect by Mourinho and believes that he would make the team stronger.
Neymar is said to be ready to join the Red Devils but only if they make it into the Champions League. The Brazilian playmaker recently revealed that he was keen on joining a Premier League soon and Manchester United were one of the four teams he mentioned.
This is not the first time ManUtd have tried to sign Neymar. Ed Woodward tried to sign Neymar in 2015 but failed to get a deal off the ground.
What’s next?
Manchester United will go in with a bid for the Brazilian in the summer, but Barcelona might be reluctant to sell him. He is a vital part of their team right now, and he along with Messi and Suarez have turned out to be one of the most feared trios in world football.
Author’s Take
Mourinho knows how to tap up players outside the pitch. It would be interesting to see if Neymar moves to Manchester United and also how he adjusts to life in the Premier League.