Man United have been handed a boost in their summer transfer plans, with Barcelona manager Xavi ruling out a move to sign Neymar from PSG.
Neymar, 31, is expected to leave Paris as his relationship with the club has hit an all-time low. The forward has been subject to fan protests, with the Brazilian and his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi both subjected to criticism amid poor performances from the French club this season.
United are reported to have been involved in 'active talks' to sign Neymar, with Erik ten Hag hoping to boost his line-up of attacking talent ahead of a return to the Champions League next season. Neymar has previously hinted at a return to Barcelona but it has been revealed that such a move is not on the radar for the LaLiga giants.
In an interview with JijantesFC, Barcelona coach Xavi was asked about the possibility of Neymar's return. However, he quashed the rumours despite admitting to still being friends with his former team-mate, with whom he won the 2015 Champions League as a player.
Xavi said: “I’m surprised… He’s not in our plans." He added. “I really like Ney as a friend, but we have different priorities.”
Neymar made 186 Barca appearances in three seasons with the Catalan club, scoring 103 goals during a time where he formed part of a fearsome attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. However, times have changed as Barca are struggling to compete financially with Europe's elite clubs.
Barcelona are subject to financial constraints this summer, with reports claiming they need to recoup £178 million in transfer fees before they can bring any new players in. This leaves Neymar, who left Barca for a world record fee to join PSG in 2017, off their radar for the time being.
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United have been linked to signing the player in recent weeks. This is despite Marcus Rashford performing highly in the left-forward position. This has contributed to Alex Ferguson's former United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen arguing that Neymar should not be signed this summer, despite the potential for increased commercial success associated with his arrival.
“It’s probably rumours and speculation, everybody keeps tight-lipped about it,” Meulensteen told talkSPORT. “I have my reservations about it because he’s obviously a high-calibre player but he’s also a prima donna.
“He’s never played in the Premier League. Playing in Spain and France is completely different. Also his best position is playing on the left wing and you’re gonna go with [Marcus] Rashford.”
“You don’t know what you’re going to get on the pitch [from Neymar],” the Dutchman explained. “You know you’ll get a commercial return that obviously the ownership will like. But you need to look into it and that’s why I think Erik keeps his cards close to his chest on this one.”
