Neymar has scored three times in five appearances for Brazil but €45m may be too high a price for Chelsea. Photograph: Paulo Whitaker/Reuters
Chelsea could be outbid by Real Madrid for the signature of Neymar unless they pay €45m (£39.7m) to Santos, according to a source closely involved in negotiations for the striker.
After reports in Spain on Tuesday stated that a deal to take Neymar to Madrid was near completion, the insider said: "If Chelsea will not pay €45m he will go to Real."
Neymar is Chelsea's prime summer target, so to miss out on a forward who has scored three goals in five Brazil appearances would cause severe frustration for the owner, Roman Abramovich. Whether the billionaire would be prepared to pay nearly £40m for a player who only made his first-team debut in 2009 and is an unproven force in European football is questionable as Chelsea were not prepared tocomment. Asked if there was sense that the Russian would be prepared to finance the deal, the source said: "No. €45m is a lot for a boy of 19."
The west London club are still searching for a successor to Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked last month. Guus Hiddink, the Turkey coach, is thought to be the favourite, and despite consistent denials from the Dutchman, the announcement of the Turkish Football Federation president, Mahmut Ozgener, that he would not seek re-election increased speculation today that Hiddink would take charge.
However, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, Hiddink's agent, said: "Guus has a contract with the federation. Not an individual."
While Chelsea's chief executive, Ron Gourlay, refused to be drawn on whether Hiddink will return to the club where he had a successful three-month spell in 2009, he did claim that a new manager will be in place within a fortnight.
He said: "As far as the manager is concerned, the process is going well but now is not the time for me to comment on who the next manager is going to be. We will announce things in the usual way but hopefully in the next week or two, we'll be in a position to announce who our new coach will be," he said.
After reports in Spain on Tuesday stated that a deal to take Neymar to Madrid was near completion, the insider said: "If Chelsea will not pay €45m he will go to Real."
Neymar is Chelsea's prime summer target, so to miss out on a forward who has scored three goals in five Brazil appearances would cause severe frustration for the owner, Roman Abramovich. Whether the billionaire would be prepared to pay nearly £40m for a player who only made his first-team debut in 2009 and is an unproven force in European football is questionable as Chelsea were not prepared tocomment. Asked if there was sense that the Russian would be prepared to finance the deal, the source said: "No. €45m is a lot for a boy of 19."
The west London club are still searching for a successor to Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked last month. Guus Hiddink, the Turkey coach, is thought to be the favourite, and despite consistent denials from the Dutchman, the announcement of the Turkish Football Federation president, Mahmut Ozgener, that he would not seek re-election increased speculation today that Hiddink would take charge.
However, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, Hiddink's agent, said: "Guus has a contract with the federation. Not an individual."
While Chelsea's chief executive, Ron Gourlay, refused to be drawn on whether Hiddink will return to the club where he had a successful three-month spell in 2009, he did claim that a new manager will be in place within a fortnight.
He said: "As far as the manager is concerned, the process is going well but now is not the time for me to comment on who the next manager is going to be. We will announce things in the usual way but hopefully in the next week or two, we'll be in a position to announce who our new coach will be," he said.
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