BRAZILIAN soccer player Neymar is considering offers from Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League, with a deal expected to require a world-record transfer fee, according to reports.

    Neymar, the 25-year-old Barcelona striker, wants to move ahead of teammate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to become the highest paid soccer player on the planet, according to The Times.

    He is seeking an annual after-tax salary of 21.2 million pounds (about US$26.5 million), The Times reported, which would see him leapfrog Messi and Ronaldo, to become the highest paid sportsman in the world in 2016, according to Forbes.

    Neymar’s release clause at the Camp Nou stands at 170 million pounds, which would eclipse the current transfer world record set by Manchester United last summer when it signed Paul Pogba.

    According to the report in The Times, both United and Chelsea have inquired about triggering the release clause in Neymar’s contract as the clubs look to improve in the summer transfer window.

    Chelsea looks set to win the Premier League title, with a seven-point cushion at the top of the table, while United is fifth with 10 games to play.

    (SD-Agencies)