Manchester United considered summer move for Neymar – but pulled out for this key reason
Manchester United considered signing Neymar this summer but ended their interest due to concerns over his lifestyle, according to reports.
The PSG forward was keen to depart the Parc des Princes ahead of 2019/20, with Barcelona and Real Madrid heavily linked with the most expensive player of all time.
According to The Athletic, United also weighed up a move for the man who cost the Ligue 1 giants for £198m in summer 2017, before pulling the plug after reasoning that his off-field behaviour could prove detrimental to his performances.
United were also worried that Neymar’s father, who also acts as the player’s agent, was too focused on money.
The Brazil international’s lavish lifestyle is well documented, and PSG supporters have not always been happy with the way he has conducted himself during his two years at the club.
The former Barcelona man is widely regarded as one of the most talented footballers in the world, but United doubted whether he had the drive and dedication of fellow superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
And despite being one of the few clubs with the financial muscle to afford Neymar, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the club’s board ultimately decided that he was not worth the hassle.
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Doubts over his fitness also played a part in United’s decision to stay out of a bidding war for the Brazilian.
Neymar has missed significant portions of his two full seasons at PSG, playing just one Champions League knockout game since joining the French giants.
The 27-year-old also sat out this year’s Copa America and is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem, which could keep him out of action for a month.
Neymar is unlikely to feature in PSG’s European double-header with Club Brugge, although he should be fit in time for a trip to the Bernabeu to face Madrid in late November.
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Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).