Why Neymar failled to join Man City

Spain: Barcelona hot shot Neymar will return to the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League - two years after demanding football boots fit for "English mud" to sign for Manchester City.

Neymar secured a £71million from Santos to Barcelona in June 2013, but City had previously made attempts to lure him to Manchester.

The 22-year-old was then one of he most sought-after players in world football, and City's director of football Txiki Begiristain was reportedly leading the line to sign the star.

But it has emerged that the Premier League champions backed out of the race to sign him because of the ridiculous demands of the Brazilian star.

They believed that his request for boots that were designed specifically for English mud just emphasised his desire to move to Spain rather than England.

City bosses were left stunned when Neymar told them that he would not be able to play in the British weather wearing traditional footwear.

His representatives said that he would have needed a new kind of boot that would help him stay on his feet, while meandering on his famed mazing runs through opposition defences.

Neymar played in the round-of-16 clash at the Etihad Stadium last season, coming off the bench as a 74th-minute substitute, as Barcelona rallied to a 2-0 victory in the first leg.