"I’d have made 3x more money at Real Madrid", claims Neymar

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar recently stated in an interview that he would have received a huge sum of money had he signed for Real Madrid in the summer he joined Barcelona. According to the interview, Real Madrid had offered him a blank cheque, as Florentino Pérez admired the flamboyant nature of the Brazilian attacker. The player mentioned that Ronaldinho's previous tenure at Barcelona made it easier for him to sign with the Catalan club.

Madrid’s offer was a blank check, they told me I can have whatever I want... but I wanted Barça with my heart. I’d have made 3x more money at Real Madrid. Florentino always liked me. But Ronaldinho played there and I wanted to play with Messi 

Talking about choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid, Neymar stated that his heart was already set on Barcelona, and he had always wanted to play alongside Messi. He mentioned that he had always watched the likes of Ronaldinho play and dreamed of playing for the club.

I don’t regret my choice to pick Barcelona over Real Madrid. I went with my heart there. I obviously wanted to play with Messi! Barca was the team I loved. I always watched, since the era of Ronaldinho I always said: I want to play there. It happened 

Talking about the transfer that took place in 2013, Neymar mentioned that it was an intense three days during which he couldn’t focus on training but had to resolve the issues, as both clubs and their presidents were in talks with him. Amidst all of this, the player followed his heart and decided to join the Blaugrana.

Those were intense days. It was 2 or 3 days where I wasn’t even training, just going from my house to the office to resolve this. It was Madrid’s people calling me from one side & Barca’s people calling me from the other. Both presidents were talking to me. I couldn’t rationalize. I imagined myself playing for both… But then my heart spoke louder. I ended up choosing Barca.

What are Barcelona upto in the La Liga?

After Neymar's departure, the club struggled to find its footing as they attempted to secure the signatures of global superstars but failed miserably. However, they have since found success with players like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who are now stepping up and filling the void left by Neymar at Barcelona.