El Mundo reveals that the most senior leaders of FC Barcelona were panicked at the idea of seeing Neymar go away… to Real Madrid.
The third edition of the “Barça Leaks” published by the newspaper El Mundo recounts the race against time at the end of July 2017 and the panic of the latter to avoid the departure of Neymar. A departure that the sports director at the time, Raül Sanllehi, tried to avoid by all means with the collaboration of the player’s father. The Brazilian finally joined PSG on August 3 and it was almost a relief for Barca leaders…
“If I were Real…”
In a letter dated July 31, the club’s top executive wrote to Barca’s president regarding Neymar’s situation who he considered lost despite his efforts. A letter that El Mundo was able to obtain.
“If we still had a chance to keep Neymar, I assure you that we killed him by not paying today (a frozen signing bonus following rumors of departure). According to what is being said, Real “Madrid have made an offer of €180m for Mbappé. If I were Real and I knew about this situation, I would clearly plan a checkmate, but that’s a personal reflection… I leave it at that.” , can we read.
he stays from @3gerardpique a 3 ans !
Happy birthday to him. pic.twitter.com/OVeU61h0y7
– Fed ???????? of the Lose (@FFLose) July 23, 2020
In other words, Barca imagined that Neymar would link up not with Paris Saint-Germain, but with Real Madrid. Other letters revealed by El Mundo show that the extension bonus amounted to 64.4 million euros gross of which 43.6 million euros had to be paid before July 31. Eventually, the player took his former club to court but lost in the first instance. Then they reached an amicable agreement.
A few days before Neymar was announced at PSG, the Barcelona leaders feared a Figo bis but nothing happened and for good reason, Real Madrid never called Neymar or his father. “The boy is sick, he has personal problems and he thinks that by running away from Barcelona he will also run away from his problems,” it was said of him at the time.