Brazilian star claims he was never close to Etihad switch.
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Superstar forward Neymar has said that there was no way that he was going to join Manchester City last summer and insists that his £50m move to Barcelona was never in doubt, the Metro reports.
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With the two sides coming face to face in the Champions League this week the Brazilian admitted that there was no chance that he would be wearing a Sky blue shirt this season.
The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League over the summer with City and Chelsea believed to be showing the most significant interest as he weighed up his options at Santos in his homeland.
“It was about joining the right team at the right time. I knew there were other teams interested – but I would not have chosen Manchester City, or anybody else,” he said.
“When I knew of Barcelona’s interest it was an easy choice – they were in my heart right away. We sat down as a family to make the decision – but there was only ever one choice.”
However, he did pay respect to the Premier League outfit by highlighting the tough challenge that faces Barcelona in making it through to the next round of the Champions League.
“Manchester City are an exceptional side – with good players in every position,” he added.
“Over the last years they have added the best players every season – and it is no surprise they are in the position that they are now. We will have to be at our best over the two games because they are now one of the best teams in Europe.
“England is a very physical league – but we can cope with whatever Manchester City throw at us. We never compromise our style of play to counter another teams style. We play the way we think the game should be played – and if we do that well then we are confident.”