'Offer was...' - Neymar reveals about Real Madrid's attempt to sign him with a mammoth deal

Neymar Junior stands out as a unique Brazilian footballer, having remained with his boyhood club, Santos, until the age of 21 before making his move abroad. Recently, the 33-year-old prince of Brazilian football reflected on his transfer journey, which culminated into his 2013 transfer to FC Barcelona.

He revealed that Real Madrid made all the efforts and gave it their all to secure the talented forward, competing fiercely with their La Liga rivals to acquire Brazil's most promising young star.

Real Madrid tried to pull off a Neymar heist

During an interview with Podpah, Neymar shared that when he considered a move to Real Madrid, the club showed their commitment by offering him the flexibility to determine his financial terms. However, he revealed that his decision to transition to European football was not purely about financial gain.

"Real Madrid’s offer was a blank check, they told me I can have whatever I want... but I wanted Barça with my heart," Neymar said. Neymar also expressed his desire to achieve a personal football milestone: playing alongside Lionel Messi. This ambition played a major role in his journey.

"I’d have made three times more money at Real Madrid. Florentino always liked me. But Ronaldinho played there and I wanted to play with Messi," Neymar explained. Neymar's transfer to Barcelona marked the beginning of a prominent chapter in his career, where he excelled for five years. In 2017, he made his move to Paris Saint-Germain, establishing himself in the French capital for seven years.

Following a lacklustre period in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, Neymar announced in late January his return to his boyhood club, Santos. Neymar netted a total of 362 goals in his club career. He scored 138 goals for Santos, 118 goals for Paris Saint Germain 105 goals for Barcelona and 1 goal for Al-Hilal.