Roberto Carlos believes he can tempt Barcelona's Neymar to Real Madrid

Andy West 07:58 13/01/2016
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  • Crown jewel: Neymar has shone for Barcelona this season.

    Roberto Carlos has sensationally claimed he will attempt to sign Barcelona star Neymar for arch rivals Real Madrid, if he’s given a role in Zinedine Zidane’s backroom staff.

    Former Brazilian international left-back Carlos made 512 appearances for Los Blancos between 1996 and 2007, and he is now hoping to renew acquaintances with the club by taking a behind-the-scenes position following the appointment of his former team-mate Zidane as first team coach.

    He revealed that he has met with Madrid officials to discuss a potential role with the club, and within hours of that rendezvous he has already made a major stir by revealing his hopes of snatching fellow Brazilian Neymar away from Barca.

    “I can bring Neymar to Real Madrid,” Carlos boldly asserted.

    The pair have a good relationship due to their mutual connection with the Brazilian national team, and Carlos made it clear how highly he values the forward, adding: “He is still very young and talented, and I am sure that he will have even better results in next year’s Ballon d’Or.”

    Neymar is under contract with Barca until 2018 but negotiations over a new deal have been moving at a slow pace, leading to reports that Manchester United are waiting to pounce if the Brazilian forward, who finished third in Monday’s Ballon d’Or vote, shows any inclination of moving away from the Nou Camp. Madrid president Florentino Perez, however, is reported to be prepared to blow away any rivals if Neymar does become available.

    Carlos was also surprisingly candid about his hopes of landing a job at the Bernabeu, adding: “It would be an honour for me to work with Real Madrid.

    “I had a meeting with the club to talk about my future there and we will know something about it this Friday.

    “It’s hard to be a director of football. I’d rather work with Zidane, help him and also learn from him.”

    Although the fierce rivalry between the clubs prevents many players from moving between the two, there are some precedents with ex-Brazil striker Ronaldo, Portuguese legend Luis Figo, Danish playmaker Michael Laudrup and current Barca boss Luis Enrique a few examples of players who represented both Spanish giants in their playing careers.

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