Barcelona has reportedly agreed a huge deal for Santos striker Neymar
Photo: Australian News Channel Pty Ltd
Barcelona has reportedly agreed a $71 million deal to bring Brazil star Neymar to the Nou Camp but it remains unclear when the Santos striker will join the Spanish giants.
Spanish TV reports suggested the 20-year-old would stay at his home club for another season before moving to Barcelona for the 2013-14 season.
If it goes through, the deal would be the fifth-highest transfer fee in history behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka, and equal with Luis Figo.
Neymar has been pursued by several of the world's biggest clubs including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus but Barcelona has reportedly made a down payment to Santos that ensures the striker will move to the Nou Camp when he eventually leaves the club.
Former Brazil greats Ronaldo and Rivaldo have urged Neymar to move to Europe to further his career but he has remained content playing in his homeland.
Santos has made significant sacrifices to retain the services of the young star, dumping its women's and futsal team in favour of paying Neymar's wages.
The Brazil striker has played 18 games for his national team, scoring nine goals. He has scored 42 times in 88 matches for Santos and won FIFA's goal of the year award for his stunning strike against Flamengo in 2011.
Neymar also gained recent notoriety for his outrageous dive against Gremio that earned his opponent a yellow card.
Watch Neymar's 2011 FIFA goal of the year:
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