‘I will make you the best player in the world’: Guardiola’s failed attempt to sign Neymar for Bayern
In 2013, Neymar was one of the most sought-after young talents in world football, shining at Santos and attracting interest from several top clubs. Before eventually joining FC Barcelona, the Brazilian revealed that Pep Guardiola made a personal pitch to bring him to Bayern Munich, telling him, “I will make you the best player in the world.”
At the time, Barcelona and Real Madrid were the two main clubs competing for Neymar’s signature, with Barcelona eventually securing the deal for a record fee of $81 million. However, Neymar shared on the Brazilian podcast Podpah that he was close to joining Bayern Munich, thanks to a persuasive offer from Guardiola.
“I almost went to Bayern (in 2013) because of Guardiola. I was in Switzerland to receive the Puskas award and was in my room. My father called me at 2 in the morning. I answered, he told me to open the door…. I was in boxers. My father, Guardiola and the translator were there. Pep said to me, I would like to sign you and bring you to me, to whatever club I go to. I will make you the best player in the world,” Neymar stated.
Guardiola, already planning his future with Bayern, laid out his vision for Neymar: “Then he showed me a piece of paper, opened his laptop, and told me where I would play under him. Pep also said, ‘If you don’t score 60 goals a season, I will change my name.’ I said, ‘Okay, but for which team?‘ Pep said, ‘I can’t tell you yet because it’s not decided yet.’
“But then I managed to convince him, and he said, ‘I’m going to sign for Bayern. I know it’s a cold city, but I’ll take care of you.’ I decided to go to Barcelona, but I really thought about going to Bayern,” the Brazilian revealed.
Despite Bayern already having world-class wingers like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Guardiola was keen on Neymar becoming the face of the team. But in the end, Neymar’s personal decision made the transfer impossible.
Neymar’s decision: Barcelona over Real Madrid and Bayern
While all offers Neymar received were financially tempting, the one from Barcelona resonated with him on a deeper level. In the podcast, Neymar explained why he ultimately chose Barça over both Real Madrid and Bayern:
“Real Madrid’s offer was a blank check. They told me I could have whatever I wanted… but I wanted Barca with my heart. I would have made three times more money at Real Madrid. Florentino (Perez) always liked me. But Ronaldinho played at Barcelona, and I wanted to play with Messi,” Neymar admitted, expressing his admiration for the two football icons.