Neymar Jr. details how Real Madrid rejected to sign for FC Barcelona

The name of Neymar Jr. has once again been strongly linked with FC Barcelona. At 33 years old, the native of Mogi das Cruzes seems to not rule out the possibility of returning to the Blaugrana in the future, considering that he could arrive as a free agent in the next summer transfer market, having signed a contract of only six months with Santos (until June 30).

'Ney' seeks to earn a new opportunity in European football through outstanding performances with 'Peixe'. With Santos, he has already scored two goals and provided three assists in six matches, showing glimpses of his undeniable technical quality and his high level of play, which is expected to be regained by having consistency in his performance.

Beyond rumors of possible contacts between the player's agent, Pini Zahavi (with a close relationship with the Catalan team), and the club for a possible return, as asserted by journalist David Ornstein of 'The Athletic', the name of Neymar Jr. and his connection to FC Barcelona has once again become a topic of conversation for another reason. The Brazilian international participated in the Brazilian podcast 'Podpah', where he made statements that will surely generate much debate.

Neymar Jr. explains how he rejected Real Madrid to sign for FC Barcelona

In this regard, Neymar Jr. took advantage of his participation in this podcast to reveal that Real Madrid tried to tempt him not to join FC Barcelona in 2013, reviewing the attractive offer with which they tried to change his mind. "The offer from Real Madrid was a blank check, they told me I could have whatever I wanted... but I wanted Barça with my heart", he began.

Subsequently, the '10' of Santos admitted that, although he could have received an exorbitant salary as a Real Madrid player, he had a more special reason to join the Catalan team. "At Real Madrid, I would have earned triple the money. Florentino always liked me. But Ronaldinho had played there and I wanted to play with Messi," he concluded.

'Ney' briefly passed through the Merengue academy

It is worth mentioning that Neymar Jr. had a brief experience in the Real Madrid academy at the age of 13, where he quickly impressed the Whites. However, his signing did not materialize for an unusual reason, as explained by Ramón Martínez, the historic technical secretary of the Madrid club, in an interview with 'MARCA'.

"Everything was arranged with his father: monthly salary, registration... but things fell apart. One thing was missing: the grandparents lived in Brazil and a house worth 60,000 euros had to be bought for them. The club did not agree and the signing was frustrated. The problem was that Florentino was no longer there. With him, it wouldn't have slipped away. 'Ney' was 13 years old and it was something incredible. I never saw a case like him," Martínez explained.

Not only Real Madrid wanted to thwart Neymar's move to Barça

In addition to the story of his failed connection to Real Madrid, Neymar Jr. mentioned another club he was close to joining, which could have thwarted his arrival at FC Barcelona. "I almost went to Bayern... because of Pep Guardiola. After winning the Puskás Award, my father called me at 2 in the morning. I answered and he told me to open the door... I was in my underwear. It was my father, Pep Guardiola, and the translator! Pep told me: I want to sign you and take you with me, wherever I go," he emphasized.

Similarly, the Brazilian 'magician' recalled how Pep Guardiola approached him to convince him to join the project he would lead at Bayern Munich, revealing a funny anecdote about a request the Santpedor coach made. "I will make you the best player in the world. He showed me a paper, opened his laptop, told me where I would play... Pep also said: if you don't score 60 goals in a season, I'll change my name. I was like... okay, but which team? Pep told me he couldn't tell me, but I convinced him and he said: I'll sign for Bayern," he concluded.

The rest is history, Neymar Jr., despite these tempting offers, became a player of FC Barcelona in 2013. From then on, although his abrupt departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 left a bitter taste in the Blaugrana fans and the club, it is undeniable that he left his mark on the club.

During his time at the Catalan team, he scored 105 goals, provided 76 assists (186 matches), and won 10 titles. Furthermore, he left memorable moments in the minds of the Barça supporters, including his significant contribution to the historic comeback of FC Barcelona against PSG with a final score of 6-1 in the Champions League in 2017.