Revealed: How Paris Saint-Germain tried to lure Neymar from Barcelona this summer

Revealed: How Paris Saint-Germain tried to lure Neymar from Barcelona this summer

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaif met with Neymar Jr. and his father in Ibiza on Jun. 1. What's more, at the end of the same month, when the Barcelona star returned to Brazil after a holiday in the USA and commercial commitments with Nike, the French club's chief went to Sao Paulo on a private jet and met with Neymar's dad. 

In the second meeting, PSG offered to pay Neymar's 190 million euro release clause and offered a 40 million euro annual salary for five seasons. This was revealed by Wagner Ribeiro, an agent who claims he was present in both meetings. The revelations came out on the show Bola da Vez on ESPN Brasil in a surreal interview which lasted more than an hour. 

"I was me that brought Nasser Al-Khelaif to Sao Paulo," Ribeiro said, who recommended Neymar to sign for PSG. "I said to Neymar that it was an offer out of reality, that he'd become the best paid player in the world and there would be no player earning more than him." 

He continued: "If Ney stayed it is because he wants to be at Barcelona, he's happy at the club and in the city. I wanted him to go to PSG, but his father forced him to stay." 

Ribeiro explained that in the first meeting in Ibiza, Nasser Al-Khelaif told Neymar he'd make a private jet available to him for trips to Brazil during international breaks. He also said he'd give him a percentage of a hotel network which would be opened carrying his name. "We were talking for two hours and Neymar was enthusiastic. Nasser explained that there would be no fiscal problems at PSG and that he'd be the No.1 in the team, which isn't the case at Barça," the agent added. 

The representative, aboslutely out of control, assured that "we didn't inform Barcelona about the meeting," but that Barça were aware of it because "someone who works for the club found out, and even sent photos to the club's directors." 

Ribeiro was the man who opened the door to PSG and was the link between the Ligue 1 champions, Neymar and his father. Contact began, according to the Brazilian agent, when PSG's sporting director at the time, Olivier Létang, asked about the possiblity of signing Neymar. "I have a good relationship with him because I represent Lucas Moura and I told him there's always a possibility if you go for it like crazy.

"It was me that leaked PSG's offer to the press and while I was speaking with PSG, Neymar's father was in talks with Barcelona. He used PSG to renew with Barça." 

Neymar's desire has always been to remain at Barcelona, but Ribeiro believes that "where he was closest to leaving was PSG, because their president spoke directly with him, something which, for example, neither Florentino [Perez] nor Manchester United did."