Neymar will remain at Barcelona “for life”, according to the club’s technical director Roberto Fernandez.
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The 23-year-old underlined his status as one of the best players in his team last season when he scored 43 goals in all competitions as Barcelona won a Primera Division, King’s Cup and Champions League treble.
The Brazilian was the subject of a £130million bid during the summer from Manchester United along with wages in excess of £300,000 a week – double his current earnings at the Nou Camp though he earns the same again in commercial endorsements.
“We are now working on Neymar’s contract extension”, Fernandez told Marca. “I have no doubt that Neymar will spend his entire career at Barcelona”.
According to reports from AS, Judges of the Audience Nacional, have asked both Chelsea and Manchester City to offer them information about the financial offers they made to gain the services of the player.
Why Neymar would want to swap playing alongside Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique to Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones is anyone’s guess, but the developments have given United slim hopes of pulling off a huge coup.
On a serious note, Barcelona’s developmental system has proven key this season after three starters on the first team, Rafinha, Andres Iniesta and Messi, were all sidelined because of injury. It’s true Messi makes a big difference and if he’s not there it will help us a little bit. “Therefore, I think that with Brazil it is easier and our need today causes us to have more patience with him”.
To complicate matters for Barca, they can not field their two summer signings – former Sevilla right-back Aleix Vidal and ex-Atletico Madrid midfielder Arda Turan – until January, when a transfer ban imposed on the club by Federation Internationale de Football Association expires.
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Spanish forward Nolito is one possibility.
