Five European clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester City, have agreed to trigger the €45m release clause in the contract of Santos starlet Neymar, according to the Brazilian club. Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro made the revelation in an interview to ESPN Brazil and added that the clubs had been given permission to talk to the player.
Oliveira Ribeiro refused to name the clubs citing confidentiality reasons, but it is widely believed that Chelsea, Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and little known Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala are the five parties interested in securing the signing of Neymar, who is being hailed as the next big thing in Brazilian football.
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