Neymar wants Barca stay but should he be tempted by Manchester United?

Barcelona forward Neymar has insisted that he wants to sign a new contract with Barcelona. The Brazil captain has formed a crucial part of a forward line featuring Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi since joining the club from Santos in 2013. After 2 successful years with the Catalan giants, the Barcelona board have been preparing […]
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sambafoot_admin
2015-10-13 23:04:00

Barcelona forward Neymar has insisted that he wants to sign a new contract with Barcelona. The Brazil captain has formed a crucial part of a forward line featuring Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi since joining the club from Santos in 2013.

After 2 successful years with the Catalan giants, the Barcelona board have been preparing to talk over a contract extension with the Brazilian. However, over the summer, rumours of talks with Manchester United began to percolate. Last month, Neymar and his representatives reportedly put contract talks on ice, pending the outcome of an investigation over his tax affairs.

This has led to increased transfer speculation. But Neymar moved to dismiss these overtures in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, "I"m very happy at the club and in Barcelona, where I"ve adapted very well," he told Mundo Deportivo.

“I"ve got three more years on my contract and I leave these issues with my father. My only concern at the moment is to be focused on helping the team and to keep winning titles with Barca. Of course [I want to renew], but we"ll talk about that later."

One of Neymar’s chief successes at Barcelona has been to kowtow to the status of Lionel Messi. At Santos, and for Brazil, Neymar was and is not so much the main man as the man. He had been branded with accusations of brattishness in his native Brazil after Santos boss Doriva was sacked following a run in with the then teenage Neymar. That a good coach could be punished with his job for displeasing the young prodigy was seen as a troubling sign for this pampered youngster. But the episode acted more like a wake-up call for the young forward, who has since straightened up and flown right.

There were anxieties over how well he could adapt to playing the role of deputy to Lionel Messi when first he moved to La Liga. But the Brazilian learned, both tactically and diplomatically, how to dovetail with the Argentine without stepping on his toes. There is a sense that the Barcelona team will not be built around Neymar any time in the near future, and that he may be tempted to move to a club where he would enjoy top billing. The list of clubs that could afford him is scarce of course. Real Madrid would surely be off the table and with Cristiano Ronaldo already in situ, it’s difficult to see him unseating the Portuguese from his metaphorical throne even if an unlikely move were to materialise.

The Premier League might prove to be an attractive option. Manchester United certainly have the funds and the Brazilian would certainly enjoy centre stage. A move to England, to a more competitive league may help him mature further too. Neymar was incubated in Brazil, where he spent much of his youth wrapped in the cotton wool of the Santos academy. At Barcelona, players are virtually allowed to referee games themselves, yielding a faithful whistle every time a flop to the turf is executed.

Neymar has very few flaws as a player, but he could certainly stand to toughen up. Whilst he is undoubtedly singled out for rough treatment, he tends to badger the referee for protection. This move often ends up becoming a counter-productive measure, as we saw in Brazil’s Copa America defeat to Colombia in June. Neymar irritated the official to the point that he was not given to protecting him and, in the end, Neymar exploded in a fit of pique and earned himself a four match ban.

Mesut Ozil initially suffered in England, at Madrid a soft crumple to the turf and a wave of the arm always drew a free-kick from a dutiful official. In the Premier League, this privilege was removed and we now see a more physically gifted footballer, to complement his undoubted elegance. There are arguments to suggest that a move away from Barcelona could aid his development, but for the time being, I fully expect to see him renew with Barca and try to ‘wait out’ Messi’s premiership.

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sambafoot_admin
Oct 14, 2015