It has been alleged by the new president of Barcelona that an unnamed club tried to sign Neymar with a last minute bid, prior to his Catalan move from Santos.
Josep Maria Bartomeu has began his reign at the Camp Nou by suggesting that the Brazil superstar’s will to join Barca was the reason that no such gazumping was successful.
“He was offered better wages and the fee was much higher but the player wanted to come to Barcelona and that’s what worked in our favour.”
“Neymar’s father showed us the documents and another club was willing to pay €60 million.”
It had been suggested that the club in question was actually Barcelona’s great rivals Real Madrid but when pressed about it, Bartomeu said, tongue firmly in cheek,: “You all know which are the richest clubs in Europe.”
Neymar’s much-publicised move to Barca has been shrouded in controversy in recent weeks regarding the poosible misappropriation of funds by Sandro Rosell, the man who quit as president prior to Bartomeu’s appointment.
