Any Real Madrid supporters expecting to read about the club's failure to sign Paul Pogba on Friday would have been disappointed.

Axar.az reports citing the Madrid sports papers were full of stories about the club signing Neymar. Was it a distraction tactic? Or are they really planning on gazumping Barcelona (if you can gazump someone who hasn't actually made a bid yet).

Neymar earns around 35m euros (£33m) after tax in France. That means, with Madrid picking up his tax bill at 43 per cent in Spain, he would cost the club almost 70m euros (£66m) a season in gross wages. They do not have the money right now. They would also have to pay Paris Saint-Germain a transfer fee.

Much has been made of how the two clubs have a good relationship, and it's true that they certainly get along better than PSG and Barcelona, but Neymar will still not be gift-wrapped and flown in on a Qatar Investment Authority private jet.

Madrid will have to pay the same 180m euros (£169m) the club are demanding from Barcelona.

Madrid supporters will have seen Neymar's social media post of himself and Zidane but they will always question where his true loyalties lie. How long before he admits he only moved to Real Madrid because Barcelona didn't move for him?