Although Manchester United has been watching Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches for months to recruit him, the Red Devils have completely abandoned their efforts reportedly after Louis Van Gaal prohibited the transfer.
This allow Bayern Munich to ultimately snag Sanches. The team made it official May 10. The 18-year-old signed a five-year contract worth £28 million, with bonus up to £40 million.
What strikes as odd is Van Gaal's impact on the Man Utd transfer decision despite leaving the team last December. This implied that he isn't going anywhere and will be with the team for the entire duration of his contract.
Reports say that Man Utd has every inch of faith in Van Gaal, which is why he had the last say in the Sanches transfer. Daily Star reports that the coach had grander hopes and wanted the Red Devils to pursue other players instead.
This explains new Man Utd transfer rumors that Barcelona superstar Neymar has become their top transfer priority. After all, he is hailed one of the greatest players in the sport.
Former footballer Terry Gibson believes that the Catalan giants are willing to put Neymar on the market if it meant keeping Lionel Messi or Luis Suarez to its lineup.
"We've heard the stories about the stadium and the impact this may have on the finances at Barcelona. If Barca had to sell one of Messi, Neymar or Suarez then I think it would be Neymar," Gibson said on the La Liga Weekly podcast via Sky Sports.
"Neymar is the best age to sell. He's 24 so he's got a long time left to play. You would do everything you could to keep Messi and Suarez so Neymar is the possibility," he added.
Neymar comes with £153 million release clause, a huge fee that Manchester United allegedly showed willingness to shell out just to get him transfer on the team.
Manchester United is definitely in need of a superstar-status player, and if it takes the said amount to score one, the Red Devils will allegedly not think twice, especially with Neymar as the subject here.
According to the latest transfer rumors, Barcelona could no longer afford to pay Neymar's asking price for a contract renewal while Man Utd even made offers to multiply his demand.
Interestingly, a new report from Mundo Deportivo claims that Real Madrid aka Neymar's team's biggest rival, is also working on snatching him away. The team is reportedly willing to bump its offer to £174 million.
