The father of Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar appeared to put talk of his son potentially joining … [+]
The father of Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar appeared to put talk of his son potentially joining FC Barcelona next summer to bed through comments made to TNT Sports in their homeland.
Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos after a lucrative contract at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia was terminated by mutual consent earlier this year.
Citing anonymous sources, outlets such as SER Catalunya in Spain have recently reported that the winger wants to embark upon a second stint at Barca in 2025/2026 after getting back in shape with Santos.
Speaking after O Peixe’s 3-1 win against Agua Santa in the Sao Paulo state championship on Sunday, however, Neymar Senior explained that “our project is not only for five months, even though my son’s contract is only for five months,” which has been taken by SPORT as him putting to bed any talk of a potential switch to the Blaugrana.
“We did not come here to play five months, we have come to give Santos the opportunity to restructure itself during this time, to find allies who can help the club get back on its feet – and a lot of people have appeared.
“(Santos President) Marcelo Teixeira is a fundamental piece in all this, because he gave me the opportunity to help Santos. This is a difficult time for the club. Knowing the weight of bringing Neymar here, it is necessary for the entity to reach an adequate level so that he can be happy here,” Neymar’s father added.
Asked about these remarks, Neymar Junior urged Santos fans not to worry and “be calm”.
“This is the beginning of a great era for Santos,” he promised, before revealing that he didn’t want to pen a longer contract because “I didn’t know how I was going to come back” from a lengthy injury that kept him sidelined for most of 2024.
“I didn’t know how I was going to feel playing. I think anything can happen,” Neymar confessed.
“The contract we have made … we did it thinking not only between the two of us. One is helping the other. Santos is helping me, it opened the doors for me to reconnect with football and rediscover joy.”
Neymar said that Santos knows “the love I feel for this club” and the “respect I have” for it.
“While I’m on the pitch, which is where I like to be the most, I’m going to give 100%. We’re going to enjoy this moment, each of the matches. This is the beginning of a great era for Santos, of that I am sure. Santos is going to get back on its feet and return to the top, which is where it deserves to be,” the former PSG man concluded.
With Neymar seemingly ruled out of donning a Barca shirt anytime soon, the Catalans’ quest for a left winger continues.
