Neymar Tried To Convince ‘Gifted’ Englishman to Join Barcelona in 2013

In 2013, there was a lot of uncertainty at Manchester United. After all, legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson had just retired after winning a record 13th Premier League title. Not only that, but Wayne Rooney’s future was up in the air.

One of the first big jobs on new manager David Moyes’ to-do list was to convince the club legend to sign a new deal at Old Trafford. However, the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were linked as possible destinations as a summer move was touted in the media.

Over in Spain, Barcelona were also at the start of a new era, having just won a La Liga title. Neymar had agreed to join Lionel Messi and co, signing in May 2013. Following his arrival, the Brazilian icon already had an eye on his ‘dream’ strike partner.

Neymar Wanted Barcelona to Sign Wayne Rooney

“It would be a dream to play with him”

Per a report in the Express from June 2013, they revealed that Neymar ‘tried to sway Rooney’ after meeting him. The Brazilian dished out big praise, claiming that he would ‘improve’ Barca:

Amid all the interest at the time, Rooney was said to have held ‘secret talks’ with Moyes. Whatever happened behind the scenes appeared to be enough to convince the English football icon to stay.

Despite the obvious temptation to follow Ferguson out the exit door in the summer, especially with Neymar trying to convince him to join Barca, the Man Utd striker decided to stay put. He would go on to become United’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances before leaving for Everton in 2017.

As for Neymar, things worked out for him just fine without Rooney. Indeed, in 2014, the Spanish giants opted for another Premier League forward instead, signing Luis Suarez from Liverpool. With the Brazilian playing alongside the Uruguayan and Messi, that South American trident would win a treble in 2014/15, lifting the Champions League, La Liga, and the Copa Del Rey.

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Neymar Later Spoke Fondly of Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho

Praised the English duo in 2022

That was not the only time English footballers caught Neymar’s eye, though. Indeed, in 2022, he singled out two Three Lions stars for particular praise, backing them to impress at the Qatar World Cup:

“I really like [Harry] Kane and [Jadon] Sancho. They’re two incredible players and I have a special love for them because I like players that have their qualities.”

While Kane has regularly proved himself for club and country, Sancho hasn’t enjoyed the best form in the years since. After an ill-fated Man United transfer, the London-born winger has struggled to get back to the levels he once showed at Borussia Dortmund. Regardless, it would have been fascinating to see any of the three play alongside Neymar when all were in their prime.