Why did Neymar reject Manchester City and sign for Barcelona in 2013?

Neymar of Barcelona goes past Gael Clichy of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Manchester City and Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium

Brazilian star Neymar will return to England two years after he had thought that Engliish Premier League needed specially designed boots to play and ignored Manchester City and chose Barcelona. Neymar is scheduled to play against Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 on February 24.

The 22-year-old frontman had completed a transfer worth of £71 million from Brazilian club Santos to Spanish giants Barcelona in 2013 after the footballer had emerged as one of the top demanding players in the world.

However, before signing on the dotted line for a move to Nou Camp, the current Premier League champions had tried to persuade Neymar to come and play at Manchester, with even Txiki Begiristain, the football director, trying to bring the Brazilian to England.

English conditions need “special boots”

It is reported by The Telegraph that the senior management at City were shocked by Neymar’s belief that English weather and pitches would require specially designing football studs as the normal footwear couldn’t sustain in the harsh climate of England.

The Neymar clan is believed to have recommended City that the striker would need new football boots for helping him to play in the “English mud” so as to play in the Premier League. Manchester city withdrew from the race to sign the famous player, rather than giving into the footballer’s demands.

Neymar did play in England though last season, when Manchester City played Barcelona in the round-of-16 first leg- encounter and the playing surface was perfect and would have been unlikely for any mud to be picked by Neymar’s studs.