How Neymar came to shape Santos's transfer market | OneFootball

Neymar has become more actively involved behind the scenes at Santos. In addition to his role on the pitch, the forward was involved in conversations leading up to the arrival of players at the club during the last transfer window.

RTI Esporte Agency has learned that one such case was Arthur Melo. The midfielder was without a club after terminating his contract with Juventus when he received a call from Neymar. The contact took place before the player accepted Santos’ offer.

Arthur Melo confirmed the No. 10’s involvement in the process. According to the midfielder, Neymar asked about his situation and presented the possibility of playing for Peixe. The signing was later handled by the club’s board, which formalized the agreement with the player.

Neymar was also involved in the negotiations for Coutinho

The forward’s involvement also surfaced in the negotiations for Philippe Coutinho. Neymar held talks with the attacking midfielder during the process that led the player to Santos. The two are longtime friends and were teammates on the Brazilian national team.

The No. 11 arrived at the club after leaving Vasco and signed a contract with Santos. Neymar himself had already publicly expressed his desire to have the player on the team. When commenting on the club’s moves, he mentioned Philippe Coutinho as one of the names he would like to see at Vila Belmiro.

Neymar’s recommendations for Santos

The black-and-white idol also acknowledged that he took part in recommending players to Santos. Speaking about the Santos squad, Neymar mentioned Gabriel Barbosa, Arthur Melo, and Philippe Coutinho as transfer market moves.

“One already has 20 goals, which is Gabigol. Arthur needs no introduction in the position he plays. Coutinho, my dream,” the player said. The statement made public an involvement that had already been emerging behind the scenes of the negotiations.

The recommendation, however, does not mean Neymar is responsible for the signing. The decisions and the formalization of the financial and legal agreements remain under the responsibility of Santos’ board.

NR Sports stepped in on another front

Neymar’s influence behind the scenes also took on a financial dimension through NR Sports, a company linked to the player’s family. The company helped Santos settle a debt with Monaco related to the signing of Jean Lucas.

The payment allowed the club to resolve the issue that had triggered the transfer ban imposed by FIFA. With the restriction lifted, Santos was once again able to register new players. After that, the club moved forward in different negotiations during the transfer window.

Among the names signed or close to signing were Rodinei, Arthur Melo, and Everton Cebolinha, as well as Philippe Coutinho. Santos’ current squad now includes standout players from Brazilian and international football.

In addition to Neymar, the group includes names such as Gabigol, Rony, Willian Arão, Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres, Rodinei, and Everton Cebolinha. The club also has foreign players such as Benjamín Rollheiser and Christian Oliva.

Neymar’s presence in transfer market activity therefore occurs on different levels. The forward was directly involved in contacts with players, publicly recommended names, and was linked to a financial operation that helped Santos resolve an outstanding issue.

The building of the squad, however, remains the responsibility of the board. Neymar appears as one of the intermediaries in the sporting project, especially in negotiations involving players with whom he maintains a personal or professional relationship.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.