Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea make £17m move for Santos starlet Neymar - also wanted by West Ham and Manchester City
His future's still up in the air: Neymar looks set to stay with Santos despite interest from Chelsea and Manchester City[LNB]Chelsea have failed in a £17million bid for Santos wonderkid Neymar.[LNB]The Brazilian club insist they will not do a deal for less than the 18-year-old's £29.6m release clause, though an improved bid closer to £20m could be enough to snare one of the world's most gifted teenagers.[LNB]West Ham had a £12m bid rejected earlier this month in a move that was seen as a stepping stone to Stamford Bridge and welcomed by the player's father.[LNB]But the Blues have now made their own offer for a skilful forward who wowed Brazil by overshadowing Robinho at Santos in the run-up to the World Cup. [LNB]He has scored 32 goals in 33 games this year and there was an outcry when Dunga overlooked him for South Africa 2010.[LNB]Santos say they will only do a deal if the release clause is met, but they took the same position with promising striker Andre, who had a £41m buyout fee written into his contract only to be sold to Dynamo Kiev for £6.5m in June.[LNB] VIDEO: Check out Neymar's silky skills...The Brazilian club said in a statement: 'Late on Tuesday morning, Santos FC received an official offer from Chelsea for the economic rights of Neymar.[LNB]'President Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has sent a response to the English club thanking them for their interest and reiterating the fact that Santos FC have no interest in opening negotiations.'[LNB]Highly rated: Forward Neymar[LNB]Chelsea have kept a close eye on Neymar for two years and may have to move now to see off interest from Spain. [LNB]Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are keen on a player who has been likened to Robinho and, inevitably, Pele - while Manchester City secured first-refusal on him as part of the deal that allowed Robinho to join the club on loan.[LNB]If the bid is accepted, City must be offered the chance to match it, and the option of a part-exchange for Robinho is likely to be mooted.[LNB]Neymar is 40 per cent owned by an investment group, who must also agree to part with their share to meet Barclays Premier League rules.[LNB]The investors pledged earlier this year that they were committed to Neymar seeing out his five-year Santos contract, but after paying just £2m for their share, a quick return of £6.8m could be hard to resist.[LNB] West Ham's bid for Neymar gets the thumbs up from Santos forward's dadRobinho warns wonderkid Neymar to avoid joining Man City or Chelsea[LNB]
