Reacting to rumors linking superstar Neymar to Manchester United, FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said that he wants the forward to spend his entire career at the Camp Nou and revealed that talks over a new contract will open “over the next months.”
Neymar, 23, has been linked with a move to Manchester United by press in Brazil and England. While English paper The Sun’ reports the total package of transfer fee and wages could amount to A?240m, Brazil news website Globoesporte takes of a potential world-record bid of A?140 million being made by the English club for the Brazil captain.
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However, as per Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona sources have denied any bid for their star.
EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United won’t flinch at eye-watering A?240million Neymar deal http://t.co/pyqa0GR4lM#MUFCpic.twitter.com/ee8KwUQaIy
a Sun Sport (@SunSport) August 24, 2015
Bartomeu wants Neymar to retire at FC Barcelona
Josep Maria Bartomeu, along with his predecessor Sandro Rosell, are still under investigation for their role in the controversial deal that brought Neymar to the club from Santos two years back. Commenting on the rumors linking Neymar with a move away from the Catalan giants, he told Radio Catalunya that he wanted the forward to spend the rest of his playing days at the Camp Nou.
“We do not want [Neymar] to leave,” Bartomeu said. “He is young, we want him to retire here, at our club. He must stay here.”
New contract for Neymar
Neymar missed FC Barcelona’s opening La Liga tie with Atheltic Bilbao having just returned to training after recovering from an illness. Bartomeu said that talks about a new deal for the Brazil start would begin soon in order to tie the player down to another long-term contract.
“Over the next months we will talk about a new contract for Neymar,” he said. “He must stay here, not just three years, but five or 10 years.”
Neymar’s current contract runs till 2018 and FC Barcelona will be hoping to secure his future and ward off any interest in the player with Manchester United keen to recruit another attacking player after selling Di Maria and missing out on singing Pedro.