Rio de Janeiro, Apr 16 (IANS): The father of Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has said that the Brazilian forward will decide his next career move for himself.
Dismissing claims that he heavily influences his son's key decisions, Neymar Santos Sr said his priority was to provide moral support for the 28-year-old, reports Xinhua news agency.
"He is always the one who chooses which path to take," Neymar Sr said in an Instagram Live video on Wednesday. "We only work administratively: to make sure he has the best contract, to put him in the best home and have the best career management."
He described Neymar's 2013 move to Barcelona as the realisation of a "childhood dream". But the 55-year-old, who has acted as Neymar's agent since 2011, denied speculation the 28-year-old could return to the Camp Nou this summer, insisting he is happy at the Parc des Princes.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Brazilian journalist Beto Saad, Neymar Sr also revealed that the former Santos prodigy was close to joining Corinthians instead of Barcelona.
"We were close to signing a deal. But I said to Neymar, 'Go (to Barcelona) first. Carve out a career there and then we'll talk about it'," he added.