Manchester United could try to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain if Sheikh Jassim’s takeover bid is successful.
Manchester United will reportedly try to land Neymar at Old Trafford if Sheikh Jassim is successful with his takeover bid. The Paris Saint-Germain star would certainly make for an exciting arrival in the Premier League as he has been dazzling throughout his career so far. However, the club previously rejected a commercial deal for the Brazil international in the 2019 summer transfer window, meaning there is no guarantee that a move will happen.
On Friday it appeared Sheikh Jassim was determined to make Neymar the flagship of his Old Trafford era, provided he could oust the Glazers.
It’s easy to see why, as the PSG star has long been regarded as one of the best players in world football.
However, United have previously rejected Neymar due to financial reasons. And while Sheikh Jassim has plenty of money, the reasons from the past still apply.
In 2019, The Independent reported that PSG were looking for a trade deal that would see Neymar move to the Premier League and Paul Pogba move in the opposite direction.
Pogba was looking to leave the Red Devils at the time, having experienced a difficult time in his career under Jose Mourinho.
And although Mourinho has since been replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who got the job on a permanent basis after a successful stint as caretaker boss, that hasn’t stopped Pogba from considering a move.
However, United rejected PSG’s approach with two factors behind their thinking.
They apparently thought it was too expensive to sign Neymar, who was hoping to earn up to £900,000 a week in a potential transfer.
It would have shattered their salary structure, which had already been damaged by their decision to make Alexis Sanchez their highest-paid player when he signed the Chile international from Arsenal the year before.
And United also rejected the proposed swap deal because Ed Woodward was keen to keep Pogba at the club.
If United were to try to sign Neymar this summer, they would still have to pay the Samba star big money.
The striker is currently earning £616,000 a week at PSG and it’s hard to see him take a pay cut, especially considering he’s under contract with the Ligue 1 giants until 2025.
Signing Neymar would, on paper, be exciting.
But matching his current salary would risk upsetting the United dressing room, that has been united under Erik ten Hag since his appointment last summer.
Neymar’s injury record also makes him a risky signing.
While he often performs well on the pitch – the 31-year-old has scored 18 goals in 29 appearances this season – the striker has struggled during his time in France.
Neymar has been limited to just 173 games since he moved to PSG in 2017 for a world record fee of £200m.
And while he would sell T-shirts and bring a new dimension to Ten Hag’s attack, his arrival would certainly be a gamble.
As for Sheikh Jassim, there should be more clarity at United in the coming days and a possible change of management.
The Qatari billionaire is confident his bid for the club will succeed despite rumors that the Glazers could stay.
