Real Madrid Transfer News: Neymar Sr. Addresses Los Blancos Speculation

Neymar's father has all but ruled out the possibility of the Barcelona star ever making the move to rivals Real Madrid after claiming such a switch "would end his image."

Joaquim Piera of Spanish daily Sport provided quotes from Neymar Sr., who compared the rivalry between Corinthians and his son's former club, Santos, with that of Real and Barcelona: "Neymar could never go to Corinthians because it would end his career, for the fact that his image was built at Santos and with the titles he won with the club. It's the same now if he went to Real Madrid."

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According to Piera, Neymar Sr. made the address at the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) while addressing the current state of Brazilian football, which was nationally televised in his native Brazil.

The report coincided with ongoing reports that Neymar is set to pen an extension at the Camp Nou, and the Mirror's Ed Malyon recently reinforced the notion he'll soon sign new terms with the Spanish champions:

Keeping the 24-year-old at the club undoubtedly sits as one of Barca's highest priorities at present, and Piera added the forward is "happy, and he feels valued in the Catalan capital."

It's little wonder Neymar is so treasured by this season's Primera Division and Copa del Rey double-winners, considering the creative powerhouse he's become since moving to Europe in 2013, as detailed by Squawka:

Despite his growing stature in Barcelona, rumours linking Neymar to Real have refused to go away. It was also recently reported by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi flew to Ibiza for negotiations with the South American (h/t the Sun's Anthony Chapman).

In any case, it's up for debate as to whether UEFA Champions League winners Real would have space to recruit Neymar given their current "BBC" front line of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Luis Figo is the most high-profile player to have made the switch from the Camp Nou to the Santiago Bernabeu, and the Portuguese was considered a traitor by his former fans after the move.

Brazilian football writer Tim Stillman also hailed Neymar's scoring talents for the national team, touching on how he'll be missed at the 2016 Copa America after opting to play at the Rio 2016 Olympics:

With a new contract looming and another double to his name at Barca, Neymar's chances of making any move to rivals Real appears even more remote given his father's recent claims.

After three years in Catalonia, Neymar has developed the same affinity for Barca that he had for Santos, and leaving for their fiercest opponents would be considered too damaging to his career.