Man Utd have already turned down a swap deal involving Neymar
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Manchester United are, according to reports, one of five teams to be contacted by the representatives of Neymar. Noise is growing louder suggesting the Paris Saint-Germain star could potentially leave the Parc des Princes at the end of the season. But the Red Devils have turned down the player before, with Ed Woodward behind that decision.
Neymar has been at PSG ever since arriving from Barcelona back in the summer transfer window of 2017.
And though he’s done well enough, the Brazil international has failed to deliver the Champions League trophy the club crave the most.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced suggesting Neymar was eyeing a blockbuster move to the Premier League at the end of the season.
United, as well as the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, were all touted as potential suitors.
So, with that being the case, it’s time to wind the clock back.
In 2019, United were linked with Neymar with a report from the Independent claiming they’d been offered a swap deal.
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The PSG star would have moved to Old Trafford, with Paul Pogba heading to Paris in return.
Pogba had only returned to United from Juventus three years previously but was struggling for consistency at the time.
The report said, however, that United turned down the swap deal with two factors behind their thinking.
The first was financial, with the Red Devils believing it would cost too much money to bring Neymar in.
Neymar apparently was hoping to pocket roughly £900,000-a-week from any such move – but United, understandably, were reluctant to pay that.
It would have shattered a wage structure that had already been broken when the Red Devils landed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal the previous year.
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And a second reason United turned down the proposal was because Woodward personally wanted Pogba to stay.
Ultimately, nothing materialised.
Pogba would proceed to leave United last year, with the France international heading back to Juventus after six years away.
And, with Neymar, it’ll be intriguing to see what happens to a player many consider to be one of the best of his generation.
Neymar has scored 12 goals and clocked up 10 assists for PSG in Ligue 1 this season.
But he struggled in midweek as the French champions lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
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After that defeat, Neymar was then spotted playing poker and eating McDonalds.
The image has angered some PSG fans who have long harboured concerns over whether the Samba star is fully committed to the cause.
But PSG boss Christophe Galtier has defended his star man, insisting he can do whatever he likes in his free time.
“What Kylian said in the mixed zone is exactly what he said in the locker room,” he said, referring to old comments from Kylian Mbappe that surfaced.
“Words of great maturity so that everyone remains mobilised. They are welcome.
“I’m not going to associate Kylian’s statement with the photo of Ney in a fast-food restaurant.
“I spoke with Ney; I told him what I thought. He has the right, on his day off, to play poker, which he loves.
“I told him what I thought of this photo that came out. There is no confusion to be made.”
Neymar will be hoping to start when PSG lock horns with Lille in their Ligue 1 clash on Sunday (12pm).
Galtier’s side sit top of the table having won 17 of their 23 matches so far this season.
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