Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is "desperate to land Neymar," while "Woodward's rival at City, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, is working just as hard to pull off the biggest transfer coup in history for Messi."

After 17 years at Liverpool, Gerrard will bid adieu to the club where he became an icon and move to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy later this season.