Manchester United made massive Neymar bid, according to his father

Another day, another delightful story about Ed Woodward's clumsy manoeuvres in the transfer market. Apparently he attempted to sign Barcelona star Neymar last summer, in a bid worth a cool £140 million. No doubt some United fans would consider this silly money for Neymar, but given that he'll soon be the undisputed best player on planet earth, they'd be wrong.

We'd normally dismiss this kind of talk as the sort of pap perpetuated by the Daily Express and friends, though the source is, rather interestingly, the player's father, who spilled the beans on Spanish radio station Cadena COPE.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's true -- indeed, with only two years left on Neymar's contract, it's about time some interest was manufactured to give his financial figures a boost. However, it does seem to fit rather well with what we've come to expect from Woodward: little serious transfer business, and the occasional wild and tragically desperate pursuit of a global superstar way out of his league. Don't worry, Ed: there's someone out there for everyone.