Manchester United Transfer News, Rumors: Why Neymar Is Not Going to Old Trafford Anytime Soon
There has been a pretty big rumor going around that could alter the soccer world as we know it. A rumor that is unbelievable in its content and yet perfectly credible in the possibility of it actually taking place.
The story in question? Neymar heading to Manchester United.
According to Globo esporte, United is offering a whopping 190 million euros for the Brazilian superstar. That would break the transfer record fee by a landslide, topping the 100 million euros that Real Madrid paid to grab Gareth Bale.
There is obviously a lot to be said for these kinds of rumors, especially when it comes to Louis Van Gaal's club. United has repeatedly been linked to making moves for such players as Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, so getting into the Neymar conversation is nothing new.
According to the report, the team is not expecting to grab the Brazilian during this transfer window, but could look to seal the deal soon thereafter.
Everyone has witnessed United's woeful offense through three games this season. The team has just two goals in three games and one of them was an own goal. There was also an unjustly disallowed goal in the 0-0 draw against Newcastle United, but the reality is that this team is in dire need of some offensive power.
Neymar scored 40 goals last year as part of the potent trident that includes Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. That number alone puts Neymar near the top of the best players in the world and shows than in a few years time, he might be the top goalscorer on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo was not scoring that many goals at age 23, which tells you about the talent of Neymar.
The question, however, is why Barcelona would ever do that? Throughout the preseason it has been apparent that the team needs the three stars to lead the offense. Messi and Suarez are great together but having Neymar in the mix is simply too overwhelming for opposing offenses. Moreover, the three complement one another to perfection. Whereas Messi can create anything from anywhere and has a tremendous dribble, Suarez's physicality destabilizes defenses. The same goes for Neymar's incredible speed and nimble footwork. Of the three, he is the one that likely still has the most growing to do.
Which presents the other major reason, quite possibly the biggest one, for Barcelona to shun any offers for the superstar. Messi is 28 and Suarez is 29. Neymar is 23. All three are elite stars, but there is one inevitability for the older two -- their peak will eventually come to an end, probably sooner than later.
When Suarez and Messi are in full decline mode, Neymar will be peaking, making him the most valuable asset in the long run. Barcelona could cash in on that, but to sustain a winning team, it will need a big star to lead the way. Let's be honest, Neymar is an elite superstar, one of the best in the world, and expecting another of his pedigree to come along that quickly in the next five years is unrealistic. This is a man who will win a Ballon d'Or and Barcelona will likely want him winning it with them.
Unless, of course, the money is simply too good to resist. One never knows in the soccer world as anything is possible.