Ex-Santos president: Neymar refused to sign for Real Madrid

Former Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has claimed that Neymar refused to sign for Real Madrid and was insistent to join Barcelona.

The Brazilian forward made his £68.4m move to Camp Nou last summer and has become a key part of Luis Enrique’s new look side this season, free scoring in the league and Champions League.

Neymar was involved in a transfer tussle leading to his move to Barca that involved their bitter rivals Real Madrid, which former Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has spoken on to Spanish daily COPE.

“I was receiving medical treatment and the vice-president who later assumed the presidency, Odilio Rodrigues, was maintaining contact with Barca and Real Madrid,” Ribeiro said.

“He told me that the offer from Real Madrid was superior but that the decision of the player was the opposite. His destiny was decided: he wanted to go to Barcelona – end of.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid will go head-to-head on Saturday in the first El Clasico of the season at Santiago Bernabeu.


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