The father of Brazilian star Neymar has confirmed Manchester United DID try to sign his son in the summer transfer window.
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Brazil’s captain is now in talks to sign a long-term extension to his current deal at Camp Nou, with a final agreement likely at the start of 2016.
For their part, Santos addressed the case in a statement, saying the club “asked an arbitrator to determine whether the breach occurred”. The controversy stems back to Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013 and the Brazilian club state that they feel betrayed by the forward’s actions.
According to the information revealed by Globo Esporte in the summer, Manchester United had made a tempting offer to Barcelona for the 23-year-old, which was believed to be €190 million.
“Santos just want to protect their rights and obtain compensation for losses suffered [referring to the transfer]”.
Neymar’s father has always claimed that Barcelona never broke Federation Internationale de Football Association rules that prevent teams from luring players under contract with other clubs.
Neymar sees Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi as an inspirational figure, according to his father, but also hopes to be a role model for others. “Of course, being next to him offers a great chance to see him”, he added.
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“It is necessary to have Neymar, Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] to inspire others”.
