Santos president Luis Álvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has reiterated that prized asset Neymar will not be sold to Manchester City.
Following reports in Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo claiming that City will offer a blank cheque for the Brazilian superstar, Ribeiro has rubbished suggestions he may seek to cash in.
While Ribeiro admitted it was “not a lack of funds" that would prevent a sale to the Premier League champions, the 70-year-old insists there is no amount of money he would accept for Neymar.
He said: “I anticipate my answer to any bids that might come, the answer is no.
“Neymar will stay at Santos until 2014, and I hope that he"ll continue here for even longer."
The Seleção star is widely considered one of the world"s most prestigious talents and has a long list of suitors, including the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
However, the club president is adamant that the young forward is not leaving the Peixe for any club.
He added: “I have a very clear basis for Neymar staying here, resisting offers from the Spanish clubs [Barcelona and Real Madrid, in 2011], for one basic reason: he"s happy.
“He costs us a relatively modest amount of money, given his talent. His presence translates into intangible gains, like our fan base growing 20% in the last two years."
Ribeiro even admitted he has taken inspiration from a former Santos president, who dug in to ensure Pele did not leave the club during his pomp.
He added: “It"s the repetition of the phenomenon experienced in the the 50s and 60s, when Pele attracted a legion of new fans, that went beyond the limits of the city.
“Repeating history is not very creative, but what Athie [Jorge Coury, former Santos president] did with Pele has inspired me."
Source: Goal.com
