What’s the story?
Neymar has surprised all his fans around the world by revealing the club he dreams to play for. While many expected him to say Barcelona or Santos, it was another Brazilian side, Flamengo that the Barcelona superstar named.
“I have a lot of desire to one day play for Flamengo, with the Maracana full, playing in the Copa Libertadores," said Neymar while talking to Canal Esporte Interativo. The words of Neymar have sent a shockwave across football fans in Brazil in particular.
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In case you didn’t know...
Neymar started off his career at Santos before he moved to Barcelona. The transfer from the Brazilian side to the Spanish side is a highly controversial one and is still being fought in court.
Santos recently celebrated their 115th anniversary, but the Barcelona star did not bother them. All other club legends and former players made an effort to wish the club.
"I still have strong sentiments towards Santos. But they went to court against me, and I still don't know why. There is a lot the people don't know about. All that's missing is for the club to claim I wanted to score an own goal in favour of Barcelona during the [2011] Club World Cup." said the former Santos star.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona fans want to see Neymar staying at the club until the end of his career, but the Brazilian has no intentions of doing that. However, he is not set to leave the club anytime soon as he has just signed a new contract with the club until 2021.
The Brazilian has also hinted at a move to the Premier League in recent times. He revealed his admiration for the league and also named Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United as ideal clubs.
Chelsea and Manchester United were linked with a move for the Catalan side's superstar in recent weeks. Reports suggested that both clubs were ready to activate his €200 million release clause.
Antonio Conte has reportedly refused to sign him but Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich is keen on seeing him in the blue jersey. Jose Mourinho is also keen on signing him and is willing to break the transfer record once again. Real Madrid were also plotting a to activate his release clause but a move to the Bernabeu looks highly unlikely to happen.
What’s next?
Neymar is expected to remain at Barcelona for the foreseeable future. But, he is bound to force a move to Flamengo in his mid-30's. He might also try and secure a move to the Premier League before he heads back home to Brazil.
Author’s Take
It's a surprise that Neymar has chosen to play for another Brazilian side despite being a former Santos players. Looks like he will be following the footsteps of Ronaldinho when he enters his 30's.
