Neymar signed a five-year contract with club president Sandro Rosell yesterday, after choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid in an intense two-year bidding war between the fierce Spanish rivals. Barcelona vice president Josep Bartomeu revealed the club had expected to pay about 40 million euros, but that "the interference of other clubs" inflated the price, an allusion to Madrid.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Luis Figo, Hulk and Fernando Torres have cost a club more than Neymar. Barcelona's previous most expensive transfer was when it paid 45 million euros to Inter Milan for Ibrahimovic in 2009 plus sent striker Samuel Eto'o the other way. Neymar laughed shyly when asked if he was worth the price paid for him.