Back in Brazil, where he has been playing for Santos for a few weeks, Neymar Junior took some free time to open up about Florentino Pérez, the legendary Real Madrid president, and his career. In an interview with Podpah, the former Barcelona star revealed the interest Real Madrid had in him.
Neymar, the former FC Barcelona star and current Santos player, remains one of the most iconic figures in modern football. With his unique playing style, which many young footballers aspire to imitate, the Brazilian forward is still considered a legend. At the start of his career, he was one of the most sought-after players. Among the clubs that attempted to sign him was Florentino Pérez’s Real Madrid. Since his move to Saudi Arabia, which turned out to be a major failure, Neymar has frequently made media appearances. This time, he spoke to a Brazilian outlet.
Neymar’s revelations about Real Madrid’s interest
During his appearance on the Brazilian podcast Podpah, the former PSG star shared some of the most memorable moments of his career, including Real Madrid’s persistent efforts to recruit him. Neymar revealed that the Spanish giants were relentless in their pursuit of his signature ahead of Barcelona. According to the current Santos player, Madrid’s offer was highly tempting—a blank cheque, allowing him to name his price. “They told me I could ask for whatever I wanted. At Real Madrid, I would have earned three times more money,” he stated.
Furthermore, Neymar revealed Florentino Pérez’s special admiration for him. According to the former Barcelona player, who left La Liga to join PSG in 2017 in a bid to conquer Europe outside of Lionel Messi’s shadow, he had personal conversations with the Real Madrid president. “Florentino Pérez always liked me, he often spoke to me and really wanted me to play for Real Madrid. However, my dream was to play for Barcelona,” Neymar admitted.
“My dream was to play with Messi”
Despite Real Madrid’s persistent efforts, the former PSG star admitted that he rejected everything to fulfil his ultimate dream—playing alongside Ronaldinho and Messi. “My dream was to play with Messi. That’s why I chose to join Barça,” he explained. Now 32 years old, Neymar may have some regrets about not signing for Real Madrid—the club that has crowned the greatest stars as the best in the world.
Despite scoring 105 goals in 186 matches for Barcelona between 2013 and 2017 and 118 goals in 173 matches for PSG from 2017 to 2023, the Brazilian forward never won the Ballon d’Or. Blessed with incredible technical ability, Neymar missed out on major opportunities by not joining a club like Real Madrid. Ultimately plagued by recurring injuries, it is now almost certain that he will never win the ultimate individual accolades sought by the greatest footballers worldwide.
Leave a Reply