Ronaldinho: Neymar should go to Real Madrid if it makes him happy

Neymar, third in the voting for the 2015 Ballon d'Or, has been linked with a move away from Barcelona in recent weeks, as his contract at the Nou Camp approaches its final two years.

Manchester United have been tipped to make a world record bid for the Brazilian but persistent reports have linked him with a shock move to arch-rivals Real Madrid - amid claims Real president Florentino Pereze sees him as the one signing that could turn around the mood at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And Ronaldinho, while hopeful that Neymar will remain at Barca for the rest of his career, would not be unhappy if the deal occurred.

"Neymar to Madrid? I want him to be happy, he's a friend," Ronaldinho told Cadena Ser.

"I would love him to continue at [Barcelona] and keep making history, but I'm not going to advise him to stay or go, he should just follow his heart.

"In happiness there is advice, because what is good for one is not always good for another."

Meanwhile, Barca team-mate Dani Alves has warned Barcelona that they would be “crazy” not to offer Neymar a new contract.

“No-one can do what [Neymar] does,” he told Onda Cero. “When he was being linked with other teams, I told him to look at how past Brazilians had fared [at those clubs].

“Brazilians have always had a special relationship at Barca. You have to understand football here.

“He has two years remaining on his contract, but he’ll have to renew it [soon].

“[Barca] would be crazy not to renew his contract. He’ll succeed Messi because he’s that good.

“No-one can do what he does, at the speed that he does. There’s no-one.

“[On Neymar’s court case], when you have a clear conscience and heart, you don’t need to worry about anything. [He and his family] aren’t worried.

“It’s a situation that has to happen. It’s something which hurts him and is very frustrating.

“Theoretically it could affect him, but what he does for his profession is bigger than what will happen.”