• Premier League

Barcelona to swoop for Neymar in January

Harry Harris, ESPNsoccernet
July 9, 2011
Neymar has a €45 million buy-out clause in his contract © PA Photos
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Barcelona have made an offer to sign Neymar after the Club World Cup, ESPNsoccernet understands.

Real Madrid have already agreed to meet the €45 million buy-out clause for the player and are keen to complete a deal this summer, but there have been indications from Santos that the player wants to stay on until after December's Club World Cup tournament in Japan.

Barca have therefore said that they will wait until January before signing the Brazil international in a bid to beat Madrid to the deal.

A source close to the transfer told ESPNsoccernet: "Real Madrid have a deal in place, but Barcelona are trying to stop it going through this summer, and have put forward their own deal.

"Both clubs have agreed to meet the buy-out clause of €45 million, and while Real will go through with the transfer, there is a suspicion that Barcelona don't have those kind of ready funds and are just trying to stall the move to Real."

It had been widely reported in Brazil that Chelsea were among the clubs to have agreed to meet Neymar's release clause, but it appears that is not the case.

"They have said they won't pay," the source added. "They will not spend that kind of money on a teenager who has not been tried in the Premier League."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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