Owner, agent, superstar: how Neymar is single-handedly rebuilding Santos from his own pocket
Forget sporting directors and transfer committees: at Santos, the transfer market has a name, a number 10 shirt and a personal bank account.
Details: According to L'Equipe, Neymar paid 2 million euros through his sports marketing company NR Sports to lift Santos' FIFA transfer ban, and personally helped bring Arthur and Coutinho to the club. The Brazilian reportedly convinced Arthur, Everton Cebolinha and, with more difficulty, Philippe Coutinho, all with the goal of reaching the Copa Sudamericana final.
The details make the story even wilder. In late August, Santos were stuck under a FIFA transfer embargo over an unpaid 2 million euro debt to Monaco for midfielder Jean Lucas. NR Sports, the company owned by Neymar's family, stepped in and settled the bill, in exchange receiving advertising space on the club's shirt. The moment the ban fell, Santos went on a shopping spree that reads like a Selecao reunion: Rodinei, Arthur, Lima and Everton Cebolinha were announced within days, Gabigol also arrived, and this week Coutinho put pen to paper as a free agent to reunite with his childhood friend. Behind almost every signature, according to L'Equipe, was a personal call from Neymar, who needed particular patience to convince Coutinho. The sporting logic is simple: Santos are still fighting to secure their Serie A status, but Neymar, currently sidelined with another thigh injury, dreams of lifting the Copa Sudamericana, the trophy that would complete his homecoming fairy tale. Player, recruiter, sponsor and savior: at Vila Belmiro, Neymar is quite literally the whole project.
It's worth noting that the 2 million euros Santos owed to Monaco dated back to the transfer of Jean Lucas, and the debt in Brazilian currency amounted to around 12 million reais.
Reminder: Here we go! Coutinho joins Santos to reunite with Neymar until the end of the year.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
