Neymar: Oscar made Chelsea pitch
Santos forward Neymar revealed that compatriot Oscar has repeatedly talked up the allure of playing for Chelsea in recent months.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
The duo featured together in the 2012 London Olympics football tourament and have been good friends since rising to prominence with their sterling displays in the Brazilian Campeonato.
Oscar, recently signed by Chelsea for a reported fee of £25 million, has chosen the well-trodden path to Europe and tested himself on another stage. And after some eye-catching performances in the Premier League, it appears that he is set to carry on impressing and live up to his undoubted potential.
Neymar, on the other hand, has consistently refused the advances of La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona with both clubs especially eager to snap up one of South American football's highest-profile stars. The forward has made his desire to stay on in Brazil and focus on his development as a footballer with local club Santos publicly known.
The 20-year-old wonderkid, widely regarded as one of the hottest properties in football, has not ruled out a move to Europe, however, and Chelsea could be yet another club willing to throw their hat into the ring and Oscar has become their chief ambassador. But he is not the only one either.
Neymar told reporters recently: "Oscar messages me to tell me what a great club Chelsea is and what a great city London is.
"He and Dani [Alves of Barcelona] are both very good salesmen for their clubs.
"When the time is right I will listen to the right offers that my agent has for me.
"It is very simple - if Barcelona are interested you listen, if Real Madrid are interested you listen, if Chelsea are interested you listen.
"There are maybe five clubs in the world that you know you must at least listen to."
It is uncertain if Santos would agree to selling their most prized asset and any move by a European club for Neymar's signature would probably mean a stratospheric transfer fee. With the Financial Fair Play rules having come into effect recently, bids for the Brazil international are only expected to take arrive in the summer of 2013.
Neymar has scored 116 goals from 193 appearances for Santos, helping them win the Copa Libertadores in 2011. He was also proclaimed the South American Footballer of the Year last year athough Santos have struggled in domestic and continental competitions since then.