Manchester United and Chelsea pulled out of Neymar chase after discovering Paris Saint-Germain are willing to pay £196m asking price for Barcelona star
- Neymar accepted Paris Saint-Germain's offer, according to Esporte Interativo
- PSG told L'Equipe that Neymar's asking price means a deal is out of the question
- Neymar has a £196million release clause inserted in his contract at Barcelona
- Sporting director Robert Fernandez claimed no one would trigger the clause
Manchester United and Chelsea both looked into signing Barcelona star Neymar but were put off by the £196million asking price Paris Saint-Germain appear willing to pay for the Brazilian forward.
Reports in Brazil have suggested the 25-year-old has accepted an offer from PSG with the French club said to have met his release clause, which was upped to £195m on July 1, although those claims have been denied in Paris.
United and Chelsea have both been in the market for a leading forward this summer, with the Red Devils having completed the £75m signing of Romelu Lukaku from under the noses of the Premier League champions, who in turn continue their search for a front man.
Barcelona striker Neymar has emerged as a £196million target for Paris Saint-Germain
Both Manchester United and Chelsea have both asked about Neymar's availability
Neymar is currently holidaying in Ibiza with Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green
Sportsmail understands both clubs did ask about Neymar's availability, but when it became clear just how much PSG were willing to pay for the Brazilian, both ended their interest to leave the Parisians standing alone in the chase for one of the leading lights of world football.
PSG responded to the claims made by Brazilian sports channel Esporte Interativo on Tuesday by informing L'Equipe that they are not about to star in another episode of the 'Neymar show' and indicated that the asking price remains out of the question.
The latest chapter in the Neymar soap opera began on Monday when Barcelona paper Sport published a story citing sources close to the Brazilian suggesting that he is 'unhappy' at the club because he remains in the shadow of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Paris Saint-Germain now stand alone as the only side willing to meet Barcelona's asking price
Barcelona's Technical Secretary Robert Fernandez was asked, during Barca coach Ernesto Valverde's first press conference of the pre-season, if he could envisage a Barca without Neymar if a club paid his buy-out and he responded: 'That will not happen'.
It was a somewhat cold response that seemed to say 'no-one will pay for him' as opposed to 'we will never sell him'.
Sportsmail understands that some important figures within the club have grown tired of the steady stream of stories suggesting he wants out of the Nou Camp and would sanction any deal providing his buy-out – which rose to £195m on July 1 – was met.
Paris Saint-Germain denied they were willing to pay Neymar's £196million release clause
Spanish newspaper Sport reported that Neymar was unhappy playing in Lionel Messi's shadow
PSG's briefing suggests it is that buy-out that stands between them and signing the player. Far from stating they are not interested in buying him they emphasise the financial difficulty of the deal.
A potential solution to the money problem is Marco Veratti. The Italian midfielder is wanted by Barcelona but valued at around £88m by PSG.
If the midfielder became part of the deal then PSG would only have £108m to find in order to fulfill the long-held dream of president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi to have one of the world's top three players at the club.
Many Barcelona supporters would not be against such a deal, especially if the surplus £108m was then dedicated to ensuring Monaco's teenage forward Kylian Mbappe ended up with them instead of with Real Madrid.
Marco Veratti is a transfer target for Barcelona but is valued by his club PSG at £88million
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