Neymar's agent advises his client to play for Real Madrid and use tax havens

Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona is currently undergoing investigation

Neymar’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, has suggested his client to put his money in tax havens and eventually move to Real Madrid to close out his career after the Barcelona forward had his assets frozen by a Brazillian court last week, ESPN reports. The Sao Paulo tribunal has alleged that the 23-year-old evaded 63 million reals in Brazil taxes between 2011 and 2013, during his time with Santos.

The Barcelona superstar and his family-related businesses have been valued at 188.8 million by a Brazillian court. The player’s agent has taken to Instagram on Monday to offer his advice, in response to the action. In a lengthy post, Ribiero has suggested his client on how he should manage his money in the future, and where he should play his club football in the years to come.

"Take your money, send everything to tax havens, legally, of course," Ribeiro wrote in a letter addressed to Neymar's father, Neymar Sr.

"This way you will stop paying taxes in Brazil! Close your businesses, the Institute of Praia Grande, and go enjoy your life on Mediterranean beaches. You and your family.”

"But leave Neymar to play a few more years ... and end his career in Europe, preferably at Real Madrid."

The agent has also hinted at a deep societal disdain in Brazil for newly rich football players like Neymar. According to Ribeiro, the former Copa Libertadores winner’s money in Brazil which was spread out among various business has been deemed to be a wrong move made by the player.

"In Brazil, when the poor become rich they have to be dumb. Do you know 'You leave the slums, but the slums don't leave you?' This has intrinsic meaning for the parts of society accustomed to 'always win’,” he said.

"They want you to continue being a 'slum kid.' But you are stubborn like your father.”

“He planned [Neymar's] career on the pitch and publicity-wise, built businesses for it. Everything within the law and that was his mistake.”

“All the money earned is 'nationalized and stamped' when it enters the country."

Neymar unlikely to go to jail if he pays what he owes: Martins

Neymar Jr. made a move to Brazil in 2013 from his Brazillian club Santos, but the transfer is undergoing an investigation by Spanish tax authorities.

Along with the transfer investigation, he is facing alleged tax evasion by the Brazillian court. In a statement, Judge Carlos Muta said that Neymar’s declared assets are worth only 19.6 million reals. According to the judge, Neymar “is solely responsible for the income declaration”.

Iagaro Jung Martins, an auditor with Brazil’s federal tax agency, has said that Neymar isn’t likely to go to jail if he pays €55 million of what he owes. The court has also ordered that 150 percent of the funds to be frozen to ensure the payment of interest and fines for the alleged tax evasion, judicial sources in Brazil told Correio Braziliense on Friday.

The court said on Friday that it would also freeze assets of Neymar Sr. as well as the following companies: Neymar Sport e-Marketing, N & N Consultoria Esportiva e Empresarial and N & N Administração de Bens Participações e Investimentos.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.