Manchester United had rejected the chance to sign PSG superstar Neymar in swap deal - Reports
Manchester United reportedly decided against signing Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar in a swap deal involving former midfielder Paul Pogba in 2019.
Neymar, 30, continues to be linked with a departure from the Parc des Princes, as he's irked by comments made by president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. One of the teams linked with the Brazilian is Manchester United, although they could have already acquired the PSG star three years ago.
The Independent reported in 2019 that United's former chief executive Ed Woodward rejected the opportunity to bring Neymar to Old Trafford. PSG reportedly approached United about the possibility of exchanging their Brazilian star with Paul Pogba, but the Red Devils deemed Neymar to be very expensive.
The 30-year-old's wages of around £900,000 a week reportedly put Woodward off, and the former executive was also keen to retain Pogba.
The Frenchman is set to leave United as a free agent for a second time. He's heading towards a return to Serie A side Juventus, per acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
#Juventus
Paul Pogba will sign his contract with Juventus in the coming days, club CEO Arrivabene confirms: "Talks are progressing well with Pogba. This deal is gonna be key for us also on commercial side", tells Tuttosport. ⚪️⚫️🇫🇷 #Juventus
Deal 100% agreed, Pogba will play for Juve. https://t.co/7Kch89ZAmT
Meanwhile, speculation over Neymar's future continues to grow, with the Ligue 1 champions reportedly considering offloading the 30-year-old. When quizzed about Neymar's future at PSG, Al-Khelaifi was not definitive in confirming that he had the Brazilian in his future plans. He said:
“some will come and others will go, but these are private negotiations”.
He has made 144 appearances since arriving at the Parc des Princes, scoring 100 goals and contributing 60 assists. However, he has largely struggled to replicate his Barcelona heroics. In the five seasons in Paris, the Brazilian has been blighted with injury issues, missing a whopping 104 games for Les Parisiens.
Should Manchester United buy PSG star Neymar this summer?
It would take Manchester United astronomical fees to lure Neymar to Old Trafford this summer. A potential move for the Brazilian seems unlikely given the current state the Premier League club are in.
New manager Erik ten Hag is overseeing a rebuild of the side and a particular profile of players is only being targeted. Neymar doesn't fall into that category, given his age, fees and gargantuan wages.
Manchester United have spent a small fortune on transfer fees since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. 💰😳 https://t.co/hO0XPThOAU
United have been criticized for paying over the odds for players in recent times and they wouldn't want to tread the same path by signing Neymar.
The former Barcelona star is a world-class talent, but United cannot afford to bring such an expensive player to their squad. The Mirror reports that a £120 million transfer budget is at Ten Hag's disposal. Undoubtedly, a large chunk of that would go towards bringing in Neymar if a deal is agreed.
There are reinforcements required in United's defense and midfield, which won't happen if United bring in the PSG star. As per the latest reports, the Red Devils are close to signing Frenkie de Jong. But the Dutchman reportedly does not want to leave Camp Nou.