Ex-Man Utd star predicts Ferguson’s verdict on Jassim’s dream £198m post-takeover signing

Ex-Man Utd star Louis Saha thinks Sir Alex Ferguson would be in favour of the Premier League giants signing Neymar from Ligue 1 outfit PSG.

Sheikh Jassim is in the running to buy Man Utd from the Glazer family but he is facing competition from INEOS’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

It has been reported this week that Sheikh Jassim has submitted an improved bid for Man Utd which is believed to be worth around £5.5bn.

This comes after it was indicated that Ratcliffe’s willingness to keep the Glazer family on board with a reduced stake of 20% makes him the favourite to take control of the football club.

Prior to this, it was claimed that Sheikh Jassim was planning to ‘signal his intentions’ by signing Neymar from PSG. 

Neymar has struggled with injuries this season but he has still managed to grab 18 goals and 17 assists in 29 outings for PSG. He is under contract until 2025 and it was reported at the start of this month that he is valued at around £198m. 

Saha was managed by Ferguson at Man Utd and he thinks the legendary boss would give the signing his blessing as long as Neymar is “settled”.

“Neymar will be an exciting signing for any club in the world. He is a top-five player in the world at the moment and the best dribbler in the world by far. Best entertainer by far. However, he will bring his own challenges with him in terms of the press and his lifestyle,” Saha told OLBG.

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“He is coming to a point in his life where maybe he has a point to prove. He has a baby on the way and maybe that can bring some stability into his life and he can provide more of a guarantee.

“I remember back in my playing days that Sir Alex Ferguson always liked players who had a family and who were settled. It is because you know that you can be very demanding of them and know that they will not get distracted. They have more of an open ear and they want to listen and do more for the club.”

Saha also warned Neymar that “much more would be expected from him” if he signed for Man Utd.

“Neymar has been the superstar, which is substantially due to his talent but it can also be hard to manage. He was definitely of that status in Barcelona, but maybe that has changed over the years. He could be difficult to manage,” Saha added.

“With all due respect, I don’t think he can adapt, but he will have to. It could be down to lifestyle or just how he is – but at Manchester United, they would expect much more from him because of his enormous price tag.”

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