Even when Neymar announces to everyone that he’s not planning on leaving Santos anytime soon, the rumors and whispers won’t die. Neymar will play for Barcelona they say; a secret deal has been signed; and the biggest Brazilian talent today will eventually play together with Lionel Messi.
And Barcelona aren’t the only team in this one. Manchester United are rumored to be looking into signing the 20 year old Brazilian. Like Barcelona, Real Madrid are obviously interested in the forward, scoring a YouTube worthy goal every other week; and if it comes to money issues, you know PSG will be involved, just like they came with a final offer of €45 million to snatch Lucas Moura away from the waiting Manchester United.
Neymar’s career? Back at club football after the Olympics, despite all the problems at Santos, he simply can’t stop scoring goals. At the moment, he’s at 9 in 11 league matches this season. Santos are only 10th, but Neymar is doing extremely well, not helping quell everything going on around him.
And it doesn’t really matter how many times he or anyone involved with Santos say that he’s not going anywhere until the end of the 2014 World Cup; about the money he makes in Brazil which will be the same amount that he’ll make in any European club; about being young and in no rush to “conquer” the European continent.
Big clubs – Barcelona, Real Madrid, United and others don’t take no for an answer. Even more, it seems no one can understand why such a big talent, already proving himself in every possible way and winning every possibly title, doesn’t want to make the move to Europe. It’s inconceivable to them that he actually prefers staying in Brazil instead of rushing across the Atlantic to any club that’ll take him.
It’s about the money he’s being paid in Brazil, but it’s also Neymar himself being made of something a bit different than those who have come before him. He’s been labeled as the best player in Brazil since he was 18, and maybe being in that comfortable spot isn’t so easy to leave. Above all, it seems Brazilian players don’t want a chance to miss the 2014 World Cup, and although there’s a small chance he won’t be good enough to be called up if he plays in Europe, a lot of players don’t want to risk having an unsuccessful European spell and losing their spot on the first team.
And maybe he’s signed on something, either with Santos, or the Brazilian FA, or with DIS, that prevents him from leaving until after the World Cup, to maximize profits over his image in Brazil. Following the money trail leads to actual reasons quite often.