Agreement between Neymar and Barcelona to extend Brazilian star's contract
Barcelona will soon have reason to celebrate. The contacts between Neymar and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over a new deal that will keep him at the Camp Nou until 2020.
The Blaugrana board has taken advantage of the presence of Neymar's dad in Barcelona to close a negotiation that it began in mid-December, as reported by SPORT. The Brazilian will extend his contract for two seasons and will double his salary, which doesn't reach €6million at the moment, to around €12m. Neymar will this be equated with Luis Suarez and a little behind the team leader, in this regard, Lionel Messi. The agreement also provides retrospectively, so he will double his salary this season too.
The harmony that exists between the two parties has facilitated an operation that coincided with the Christmas break. The contract he signed in 2013 was outdated and his meteoric progression this season has only accentuated this. The Blaugrana feels indebted to the star, who shunned a €12m-a-season offer from Real Madrid to sign for Barcelona.
Neymar "winked" at Barca a few weeks ago, saying "Sure I will renew, it's impossible to be happier than I am at Barcelona. I'm very happy with the decision I made to play at Barca." The club returned the wink by sending a representative to Sao Paulo's Praia Grande, to attend an inauguration of a social institution that Neymar sponsors. His agent Wagner Ribeiro confirmed negotiations were underway. "We have a proposal to extend Neymar's Barcelona contract until 2020. The player is happy at the club and the club is happy with the player. The relationship is magnificent."
January has seen the links between Ney and Barca grow. The company that his father runs, NR Sports, penned a sponsorship deal with the club through one of the sponsors of Neymar, foot hygene brand Tenys Pe, from Baruel. Thus, one of the conditions of his original signing were fulfilled, where it was agreed that Neymar's father would seek sponsors for Barcelona in Brazil.
This step shows that Neymar is willing to develop throughout his career at Camp Nou. He is completely integrated into the club, the city and now the dressing room, where he has forged a strong relationship with strike partners Messi and Suarez. Neymar is convinced that Barca believe he will take over from Messi as the best footballer on the planet.
The decision to renew Neymar's contract now seems like an electoral ploy too, with Josep Maria Bartomeu striking at the opportune moment, to garner support ahead of the summer vote.
