Real Madrid News
Real Madrid offered around €150-160m for Neymar in 2013, claims former Barcelona scout
With the hearing against Neymar and his camp and former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu underway, more and more details about his transfer to Camp Nou in 2013 are starting to emerge.
DIS have filed a complaint against the aforementioned parties, accusing them of committing irregularities in the transfer fee. They had owned 40% of the Brazilian superstar’s rights at the time of his move from Santos FC to Barça.
The hearing started on Monday in Barcelona’s court and earlier today, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was also called to provide evidence, as Los Blancos were also interested in Neymar at the time.
The Merengues’ supremo claimed that the club did hold an interest in the current PSG superstar, but the only offer that they made was in 2011 and was around €45 million.
However, during the same hearing, Andre Cury, a former Barcelona scout for the South American region, is now claiming that Real Madrid had offered as much as €150-160 million for Neymar in 2013, right before his move to Camp Nou.
“In 2013, Real Madrid offered between €150 million and €160 million for Neymar. He could have played for another club if he had wanted,” Cury, who claims to have recommended Neymar to Rosell in 2010, stated (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
These claims completely contradict what Perez had claimed earlier in the hearing. Ultimately, though, whatever Real Madrid offered, it did not amount to anything as Neymar had his heart set on a move to Barcelona, as he admitted earlier today.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder trained away from the group last week, but has no injury – report
With the international break underway, several Real Madrid players have been called up for national team assignments. The stars who have not travelled for international duty have continued to work at the club’s Valdebebas training facility to prepare for the restart.
Toni Kroos is one such player who has remained in Madrid, having retired from international football back in 2021.
However, there had been concerns growing around the 33-year-old’s physical condition as he regularly did indoor work last week and was not spotted in group training with his teammates.
Now, Sergio Quirante has come up with an update on Kroos’ situation, stating that even though the midfielder largely did individual work inside the facilities over the last week, he is fine and has no injuries.
Taking advantage of the international break, the former Bayern Munich superstar is understood to have gone through an individual program to prepare for the final, decisive stretch of the 2022/23 season.
Kroos not being injured comes as a big positive for Real Madrid, ahead of important games against Real Valladolid and Barcelona within the first five days of April.
The rest of the Real Madrid midfield contingent – Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Dani Ceballos – are all away on international duties and could return with some fatigue from the travel.
So, it is important that Kroos is fully fit and ready to go as Real Madrid look to cut down the gap to the top of the table in La Liga and also make it to the finals of the Copa del Rey by overturning a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Kroos has played 37 matches this season, chipping in with two goals and five assists in the process. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is still unclear whether he will renew or hang up his boots.
