Blues had £22million bid rejected back in 2010
Chelsea had a formal bid of around £22million rejected by Santos back in 2010 for Brazilian star Neymar, a new autobiography has claimed.
The book is from the club’s ex-president, Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, and he has revealed how Chelsea were strongly trying to lure the then 18-year-old Neymar to Stamford Bridge.
However, the offer was snubbed by the Brazilian side’s hierarchy and eventually he went on to join La Liga giants FC Barcelona, where he has developed into one of the best players in the world.
Chelsea’s Interest in Neymar
According to reports, Chelsea went as far as setting up a meeting with Neymar, his family and also his agent, but the deal was turned down by Santos.
Ribeiro also claims that Chelsea travelled to Brazil in order to get in touch with Neymar, and even had a car waiting for him outside of an airport, only to see the winger get bundled into another car by his agent.
Eventually the winger did leave Santos, but as mentioned before, it was for Barcelona when the Spanish side agreed to pay around £48.6million.
So far this season, the Brazilian has scored 13 goals in 14 games and has helped the club during Lionel Messi‘s absence through injury.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
