Barcelona Transfer News: Madrid Won't Accept Neymar Snub, Says Josep Bartomeu

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has implied that the ongoing investigation into Neymar’s transfer to Catalonia is being underscored by bitterness from Real Madrid that stems from the Brazilian choosing the Blaugrana over them.

As noted by Miles Chambers of Goal, Bartomeu is set to stand trial over allegations of tax evasion and fraud in regards to Neymar’s acquisition from Santos in the summer of 2013. And he’s hinted that Madrid are the ones forcing the issue because Neymar snubbed them two years ago.

“In Madrid they still don't understand Neymar chose Barca and they are trying to create difficulties for the club and for him,” Bartomeu told RAC1, per Chambers’ piece. “Let's see how the trial finishes, but I will never get tired of defending club and player interests.”

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The cost of Neymar’s transfer to Barca has long been disputed. As Chambers reported, the original amount was believed to be €57 million, but a figure of €86.2 million has also been reported since then. The article also noted there were a lot of teams interested in signing Neymar, including Real, but Barcelona came up trumps.

In keeping with the investigation into the deal, Los Blancos and other sides were asked to reveal the value of unsuccessful bids made for Neymar to the Spanish Central Court. Madrid made offers on two separate occasions for the former Santos man, with a €43 million bid in 2011 and a €36 million offer in 2013, per SPORT.

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As we can see here, the Brazil starlet has gone on to become one of the finest players in the world during his time in the iconic Blaugrana strip:

In the same interview, Bartomeu insisted he wants Neymar to commit his future to the club and stay there for the rest of his career. “He's a key player for our team and is doing great work,” he told RAC1, per SPORT. “There's no date for Neymar's contract renovation, but equally, like all the fans, we want him to retire here at FC Barcelona.”

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Spurning the chance to join Madrid and head for Catalonia made Neymar a popular figure with the Barcelona faithful before he had even kicked a ball for the team, but last season he etched his name into club folklore by helping bring three major titles to the Camp Nou. 

He has been linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks, with Manchester United reportedly proving to be a tantalising proposition, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian. But given the effort Barcelona made to bring him to the club in the first place, they’ll be desperate to keep their No. 11 on board for a lot longer yet.