Brazil star to stay put in Spain
Barcelona star Neymar is set to sign a new deal with the club in the coming days- meaning Manchester United are set to miss out on the forward.
Barcelona have repeatedly insisted in recent months that they are ready to commit the 24-year-old’s future to the club with a new long-term deal. However, delays in any official announcement have led to speculation regarding a move away
Earlier in June Wagner Ribeiro, one of Neymar’s agents, said three clubs were still ready to pay the player’s ÂŁ156.9m release clause in full to sign him ahead of next season.
However, Barca club President Josep Maria Bartomeu has claimed there are only ‘minor details’ to be finalised in Neymar’s new contract.
Neymar wants to continue at the club and the club wants him to continue. I don’t know if it will be today, tomorrow or the day after, but in the coming days we will confirm his renewal for another five seasons. There have been reports many clubs were interested in him and that’s normal, but he wants to stay and we want him to stay,” Bartomeu said during a press conference on June 30th
“We’re tying up the loose ends and we’ll announce it in the coming days. The lawyers are looking at everything because we want this to be a long-term contract, so we have to act with great care. We’ve just come from the Neymar case at the national courtand the attorney’s office and it’s necessary to write up everything. But he’s staying for five years.”
The new deal would see Neymar become the second highest paid player in the Barcelona squad, behind Messi. Barcelona would presumably increase his release clause to ward off the likes of PSG and other oil-rich sides in the future.
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10
