A verbal agreement between Roman Abramovich and Barcelona for the transfer of Neymar has been agreed for what would be a world record fee, according to Tuttosport.
To ensure Antonio Conte remains at the helm at Chelsea, Abramovich is prepared to invest heavily in the Barcelona playmaker to signal their intent as the league leaders are set to make a return to the Champions League next season.
The transfer for a reported €180m would annihilate the current transfer record which saw Paul Pogba make a return to Manchester United from Juventus for an estimated £89.3m. The fee for the 25-year-old is said to have been agreed between the two parties.
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However, Conte could end up blocking the transfer as he seeks to stamp his own mark on a squad he largely inherited from his predecessor Jose Mourinho. With the aim to trim the squad in the summer before introducing new players, the Italian is said to be keen to strengthen a variety of positions rather than splashing out on one main star.
The 25-year-old Brazilian has continued to impress year upon year, playing a crucial role in both club and international football and would certainly improve any team he played for.
His buy-out clause in his contract is evidence of the fact as it is set to increase year-on-year, valued at €200m in 2016 and €222m in 2017. Where it is also set to increase to €250m between 2018 and 2021.
Neymar has been in an impressive run of form of late and his ability to step up in the big games cannot be understated as he orchestrated Barcelona’s thrilling comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and played a vital role in Brazil’s victory over Uruguay on Thursday.
If he does make his way to the Premier League, it would be a serious sign of intent and defenders throughout the league will have to be on their toes if they have any chance of stopping the Brazilian.
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