• Premier League

Mancini to consult Txiki over Neymar

ESPN staff
November 4, 2012

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is looking forward to meeting with the club's new director of football Txiki Begiristain amid reports of interest in Brazil star Neymar.

Neymar, 20, has long-been linked with a big-money move away from his current side Santos, with Real Madrid and Barcelona said to be the favourites for his signature.

City have also been mentioned as potential suitors, and that speculation has intensified since the appointment of Begiristain, who was previously Barca's technical director.

Mancini is quoted in the Daily Star as saying: "I have read that Barcelona are buying Neymar but I don't know if it is true or not. "When Txiki starts to work here this week, we can start to talk about the future. For us, that is very important.

"Neymar is a Santos player at this moment and I don't know what will happen to him in the future. But I am very happy to work now with the sporting director because he knows the situation.

"We have talked on the phone and by messages and now we will meet in the next few days."

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