Alex Ferguson's Former Right Hand Man Warns Club Against Signing 'Prima Donna' Neymar

Alex Ferguson's Former Right Hand Man Warns Club Against Signing 'Prima Donna' Neymar

Rene Otinga
updated at May 26, 2023 at 5:40 PM
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  • Manchester United have been warned against signing Neymar in the summer
  • Sir Alex Ferguson’s former right-hand man has branded the Brazilian a ‘Prima Donna’
  • Reports suggest PSG are open to selling the 31-year old and will listen to offers

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has warned the club against making a move for Neymar, as he termed the Brazilian a ‘Prima Donna’.

This comes after Erik Ten Hag left more room for speculation on Wednesday, May 24 with an interesting answer when quizzed about United’s possibility of signing the Brazilian star.

Six years since his £193m world record move from Barcelona, it seems Neymar’s time at Parc des Prices may finally be coming to an end, with United among the clubs linked to him.

Neymar, Manchester United, Premier League
Neymar Junior warming up during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille OSC at Parc des Princes on February 19, 2023 in Paris, France. Photo by Antonio Borga.
Source: Getty Images

But despite Neymar’s undeniable talent, Meulensteen does not believe the Brazilian is a good fit for United.

While speaking to TalkSport, he said:

“It’s probably rumours and speculation, everybody keeps tight-lipped about it.”
“I have my reservations about it because he’s obviously a high-calibre player but he’s also a prima donna.”

According to Meulensteen, despite Neymar’s experience in some of the best leagues in the world, the Premier League is different and may come with varying demands.

“You need to look into it and that’s why I think Erik keeps his cards close to his chest on this one,” He added.

Neymar’s stats this season

The 2022/23 campaign has been an interesting one for Neymar, who started the season with some intent before his campaign was halted by an ankle injury.

Despite only making 29 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermkt, Neymar’s numbers are not too worrying as he has managed 18 goals and 17 assists.

Meanwhile, United made the climb back to the Champions League as their top-four status was confirmed on Thursday after a 4-1 win over Chelsea.

With two games remaining this season, Erik Ten Hag will be hoping to conclude the campaign on a high with possible wins over Fulham in the league on Sunday and a triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Ten Hag’s response when asked about Neymar

As Sports Brief reported , Ten Hag had an interesting response when asked about Neymar.

A Qatari takeover at United will likely spark a marquee signing, with United keen on investing in a forward. The likes of Harry Kane and Napoli goal-scorer, Victor Osimhen have also been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

When Ten Hag was asked about a move for Neymar, he left more questions than answers with his response.

"When we have news, we will tell you," he said, as quoted on Manchester Evening News.

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Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.