Barcelona are on the brink of tying down Neymar's long-term loyalties after it emerged the club want to announce his contract extension after Sunday's Copa del Rey final. Plus, Rubin Kazan starlet Mauricio Lemos has opened up on the Blaugrana's rumoured interest.Catalunya Radio programme El Club de la Mitjanitreported Barca are hoping to announce the deal after Sunday's final against Sevilla, with the new contract set to run until 2021 (h/tSport).Neymar's current contract doesn't expire until 2018, but Barca are also understood to be keen to increase the forward's release clause, which will jump to 220 million (172 million) with the new deal (h/tSun's Matt Heath-Smith).Heath-Smith's report also mentioned Premier League titans Manchester United as one of the headlining outfits alleged to be interested in Neymar, but a new contract all-but rules out any move in the near future.Last month, theSun's Duncan Wright reported Barca's cash concerns may lead to a Neymar sale, with United willing to offer the player 300,000 a week. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague was also quoted in the report and gave some reasoning as to how such a monumental transfer may in fact come to materialise, albeit before Barca's La Liga triumph:It has been a fascinating story all season, a new twist to it happened this week. Two Catalan newspapers started a sort of campaign against Neymar, and those things never take place by chance.It seems the club was not fully unhappy that the papers have suggested Neymars lifestyle is not ideal for a elite player and some of his team mates are not happy with that.It coincided with Barcelonas defeats and of course with the fact that the club has not sorted out yet a sponsor for next season. And without an sponsor they cannot realistically afford the renewal of Neymar, plus the consequent ones of Messi and then Luis Suarez.Is the club trying to put Neymar for sale' Not fully, but they are preparing the way in case they have to. The players side has got a clear timing. His contract will be renewed, they say, at some point this year.But the club is scared that might take the debt to new highs. He has flirted with the Premier League, but he wants to stay.There are so many moving parts involved in Neymar's Barcelona commitments, but what seems certain is the club are willing to do all in their power to preserve the Brazilian's status at the Camp Nou.Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse recently questioned the ties between Neymar's deal and Barcelona's agreement to a new sponsorship with Nikewho also sponsor the player himself:In defence, the Blaugrana have reportedly taken initial steps to sign Russia-based defender Lemos, who spent the 2015-16 season on loan at Las Palmas and discussed what it means to be linked with such an esteemed team.Earlier this week, theMirror's Ed Malyon reported Barca had seen a 3 million offer for the player rejected, but Lemos has said he's flattered to be linked with the Spanish league champions at all, per Spanish dailySport:That Barcelona are talking about me fills me with pride, it's been two years since I started at Defensor (his first club).The coach told me when I arrived that I was for the future, and later that he didn't imagine I would adapt so fast. To play against Barcelona and Real Madrid, who I watched on television, was incredible.Despite his meteoric rise in Spain this season, the 20-year-old has still played just 17 senior games in Europe, with 10 of those coming atLas Palmas this term.The youngster is earning rave reviews and could reinforce one of Barca's weakest areas in central defence, with the player seemingly keen on the idea of moving to Catalonia should the right offer come in.
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