Neymar Jr. would like Barça to sign Santos midfielder Lucas Lima
Barcelona are expected to sign the Brazil international on a free transfer
Neymar is friends with him and would like him to join him at Camp Nou
Neymar says Santos midfielder Lucas Lima would be a good signing for Barcelona. "He's a guy I admire a lot, he's a good friend and I hope he's happy wherever he plays, but I would like it if it was Barça," he said on Friday at an event for the Neymar Institute Project in Sao Paulo.
According to Neymar, the Brazilian international has quality and the profile to play at Camp Nou. "I hope he goes to Barça because he would be a good player for us," he added.
In recent hours, speculation has increased in Brazil that Barcelona will sign the midfielder on a pre-contract agreement on July 1, when he moves into the final six months of his deal with Santos. Therefore, he would join the Catalan club on a free transfer on January 1, 2018.
Neymar says he has not asked the player's agent -- Neymar's father -- to sign Lima, though. "The only person who knows the truth is Lucas and the people he works with, I am only encouraging him to go to Barcelona, but I've not decided anything or proposed anything to anyone," the Brazil forward explained.
He neither confirmed nor denied that Lucas had told him at a poker event he was going to Barça: "We can joke about all we want, but all I can say is that I hope everything works out for him and if he ends up at Barcelona he will be received with open arms."
NEYMAR'S FATHER CAN'T CONFIRM...
At the event, Neymar's father was also present, the agent of Lucas Lima, and he denied any offer for now: "I don't know what transfer we're talking about, because Barça have not made us an offer," he said.
Lima, who turns 27 soon, is on the cusp of signing one of the most important contracts of his career. "We have to be cautious, reflect on the options that we have and decide what's best for him," added Ney Sr., without giving anything away.
