Brazilian club Santos has accepted two offers made by Barcelona and Real Madrid for Neymar, and reports in the Catalan media say the 21-year-old forward has chosen to play for Barcelona. Details of the offers were not made official, but Sport.es reported that Barcelona will pay 25 million euros ($32.3 million) and play two friendly matches with Santos, one in each team's stadium.
Mundo Deportivo reported the agreement between Barcelona and Santos was signed after midnight Brazilian time Saturday morning after serious negotiations with the rival Madrid club fell through.
Brazilian media reported that Real Madrid was willing to pay 35 million euro ($45.1 million), but Neymar has said in the past that his personal preference is to play alongside Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
Any transfer could be complicated by the complex nature of Neymar's ownership arrangement, with various investment groups holding a stake in the player as well as the club. Mundo Deportivo reported that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez offered about 140 million euros (180 million) combined to the club and the private investors but could not strike a deal.
Santos vice president Odilio Rodrigues hinted early Saturday that Neymar had a "gentleman's agreement" with Barcelona.
Neymar led Santos to its greatest run since national hero Pele left the club in the 1970s. The youngster helped Santos win the 2010 Brazilian Cup, the 2011 Copa Libertadores and three straight Sao Paulo state championships. He is the club's leading scorer in the post-Pele era with 138 goals in 229 matches.
Neymar will likely join Barcelona after playing for Brazil in the Confederations Cup in June. He trained with his Santos teammates on Saturday in what was likely his last practice session at the Brazilian club.
Neymar learned the details of the offers early Saturday morning in the coastal city of Santos, but left Santos' headquarters without giving any hints about which team he will choose.
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