Why Neymar-to-Manchester United rumours are built on a false premise

The stories that suggest Manchester United are about to tend to be accompanied by an important justification for the Brazilian actually wanting to make the move - that he feels he can never be the number one at Barcelona while he plays alongside Leo Messi.

Newsflash: it’s already happening. Neymar is already well on his way to be the world’s number one. He doesn’t need to leave Barca to manage it. If he doesn’t win the 2017 Ballon d’Or, then he’ll win the 2018 one – Brazil are the first team to qualify for the World Cup in Russia and they will be favourites to win it. If they do he’ll almost certainly scoop the individual gong too.

His goal in midweek against Paraguay – running from deep inside his own half past four players – was up there with Messi’s finest, and remember it was Neymar who worked the Paris Saint-Germain miracle with the ball for Sergio Roberto’s injury-time goal and the free-kick and penalty before it. Messi, meanwhile, was having by his standards an ineffectual game.

Neymar has 99 goals in 175 games for Barcelona and if his numbers have dropped off slightly this season it’s because without the departed Xavi and Dani Alves, and the frequently injured Andres Iniesta, he has become provider supreme with an assists tally of 19 – the best in Europe.

It’s unlikely he will ever top Messi’s overall achievements. The staggering consistency of the Argentinian, who has scored 40 times or more in the last eight seasons, will not be topped and neither will the Ballon d’Or haul, currently standing at five.

Neymar’s career may well be shorter too – he was out partying until the early hours with Lewis Hamilton after his epic display against PSG, and after he tripped the light fantastic against Paraguay this week he did the same post-match with actress girlfriend Bruna Marquezine. For the last three years he has missed the fixture closest to his sister Rafaella’s birthday, conveniently freeing him up to attend her celebrations.

There is a relentlessness to Messi that has made him a phenomenon for over a decade now. Let’s not abuse the South American stereotypes too much but there is a Tango intensity to Messi that means he never misses a game – except when FIFA has decided swearing now merits a four-game ban whether the match officials heard it or not. Neymar in contrast is pure carnival.

His star might stay in the sky for a shorter time but it will shine just as brightly over the next few years for Brazil and for Barcelona, where every season he wins things and where he gets to play alongside the world's best No. 9 in Luis Suarez and the incredible Messi.

Jose Mourinho described the idea of Manchester United signing Neymar as “absurd” this week, adding: “Barcelona cannot and will not lose Neymar”. If the buyout clause of €200m (£172m) was met then Barcelona would have no choice but to wave him off at the airport with only four seasons to show for all those convoluted contracts and tax avoidance court appearances.

But United would have to break the transfer record by €95m to do so. The biggest jump in the record to date came in 2009 when Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for €94m, smashing the record they set when they bought Kaka from Milan a few weeks before for €68m. It’s a huge jump even for a club with more commercial partners than the UEFA Champions League.

And even if the buyout clause was met, Neymar would still need to want to leave. Maybe there are people whispering in his ear and telling him to consider it. Maybe the marketing men have seen the red No. 7 shirt at United with his name on it and assured him he would be able to buy an even bigger private island if he made the switch.

But in football terms he is already on course to rule the world. He doesn’t need careers advice from anyone; he doesn’t need to change clubs to become the number one.