Santos' Neymar will not be leaving despite Chelsea interest
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Amid speculation that Chelsea were preparing a lucrative offer for Neymar, the Santos president insisted that the young sensation would not be going anywhere for the time being.
The president of Santos denied that star forward Neymar would be leaving the club soon, despite reports linking the new Brazil sensation with a move to England's Chelsea.
Reports from across the Atlantic suggested that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was won over by the 19 year old's excellent showing in the Emirates Stadium against Scotland, where he scored twice and scooped Goal.com's top of the match award.
The Blues were reportedly ready to make a bid worth up to £30million for the youngster; but Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro de Oliveira was adamant that Brazil was the best place for him to be.
"Playing in England is not the same as playing in Vila Belmiro. It is much worse, because of the climate and the style of football which he is unaccustomed to. We have demonstrated that, as he has developed into a player who represents the best of Brazilian football- being audacious, skillful, effective, attacking- he is going to become a key figure in the history of Brazilian football," the president argued in an interview with ESPN. Ribeiro also confirmed that the Peixe had no intention of selling their gem in the next transfer window.
The chief, who rejected a lucrative offer for the teenager from the Blues last year, was convinced that Neymar could become a superstar without having to cross the Atlantic and play for a European giant.
"He is going to gain international recognition, and maybe get chosen as the best player in the world, playing in Brazil. This is something that hasn't happened since Pele's day, and he has a golden chance," Ribeiro predicted.