Former Bayern Munich forward Giovane Elber has claimed that the Champions League holders turned down the chance to sign Neymar when he was just 16.
Neymar, now 21, moved to Barcelona from Santos in the summer and has immediately become a key member of the Spanish club's first XI.
"Neymar was at a different level to everyone else when he was 16," Elber told reporters.
"But he was very expensive due to contractual obligations. Bayern thought about signing him, but eventually they opted against the transfer.
"Nobody knew he was going to continue to grow as he has done. From that episode, Bayern decided not to go to Brazil to directly sign any player, except in special cases."
Neymar is expected to play a leading role for Brazil in the World Cup next summer.
