Brazilian club Santos has announced on their website that they have rejected Chelsea’s opening bid of £20 million for Neymar.
Santos revealed that the offer from the Premier League giant was made on Tuesday morning, and that they have “no intention of open trading” for Neymar.
The club however did not put a price on Chelsea’s offer, but it is believed that Chelsea started the bidding at £20 million, while Santos have made it clear that there is a buyout clause of £28.4 million.
It is also said that West Ham United made all the early running to sign Neymar, but Chelsea were involved behind the scenes and have moved to make sure they capture a player they have been watching for some time.
Unwilling to allow Neymar to escape their clutches, Chelsea have now launched an outright swoop for the player.
It is said that a new bid, closer to the Santos buyout price, will clinch a deal.