Manchester United's prospective owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wants to sign Neymar at Old Trafford should he become the Red Devils’ next owner, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
Erik ten Hag will hope to see a takeover of the club completed imminently.
Man Utd transfer news – Neymar
According to L’Equipe, several Premier League clubs have shown interest in Neymar, who is considering leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The French outlet reports that Manchester United have made the most progress, with the club’s likely participation in next season’s Champions League tipping the balance in their favour over a club like Chelsea.
It has also been stated that ten Hag and his team believe Neymar can take the Red Devils one step further next season as they look to close the gap on Premier League champions and neighbours Manchester City.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has recently told GIVEMESPORT that Sheikh Jassim, who has recently submitted his fourth bid to buy the Old Trafford outfit, could look to Neymar as a marquee signing on his arrival.
But Jones believes that Neymar’s reported wages of £870,000 per-week make a deal for the winger “extremely unlikely.”
What has Jones said about Man Utd and Neymar?
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Neymar has people putting in work right now to find him a potential new home, and the Premier League is the only league in the world that could even attempt to take on his current salary.
“I’ve always been told that his income from PSG would make any deal extremely unlikely, so I was surprised to hear United linked with him on a loan deal and taking over all his wages.
“Sheikh Jassim wants him, but it's not plausible until the takeover goes through. This club is trying to implement pay cuts and set a wage limit. Also, Neymar plays on the left, and that’s Marcus Rashford’s ideal spot. Are they likely to risk the comfort of their best player?
“On top of that, there are always worries with him over injury and missing games, and there would be a lot of drama that follows him around, even if he is not a major problem to manage. Of everything I hear about how ten Hag wants to recruit, this does not fit.”
Would Neymar be a good signing for Man Utd?
On the face of it, Neymar would be an excellent addition to ten Hag’s squad as the Red Devils look to once again challenge for the Premier League title.
The 124-cap Brazil international, who still holds the title of the world’s most expensive player following his £200m move from Barcelona to PSG in the summer of 2017, has bagged 18 goals and registered 17 assists in 29 appearances for the Parisians this season, indicating that he is a lethal presence in the final third.
However, given his superstar status, ten Hag could fear a repeat of United’s fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo, in which the Portugal legend criticised the club and manager in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, resulting in his contract termination in November.
Therefore, this may be a deal that the Red Devils look to avoid, as ten Hag focuses on building a competent and harmonious unit as he looks to challenge for honours at Old Trafford.