Come to Madrid and you'll win Ballon d'Or, Real tell Neymar

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has opened the door for Neymar to join the European champion by declaring it would help further the forward's individual ambition. Neymar finished third behind Lionel Messi and winner Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or Thursday and Perez suggested the only way for the Brazilian to break the duo's stranglehold on the prize - which has extended to a decade - would be to join Real.

Real Madrid chief details outrageous plan to sign Neymar and Kylian Mbappe ?https://t.co/uKNKnAX6Sq pic.twitter.com/G1dsZK8aPw

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) December 8, 2017

"Being in Real would make it easier to win the Ballon d'Or," Perez told Spanish radio. "Real are a club which give a big player everything they need to do so. Everyone knows I wanted to sign him." Perez attempted to bring Neymar to Real from Santos on several occasions before he plumped for arch-rival Barcelona in 2013.

Real Madrid refuse to let #Neymar rumours lie and say he'd have more chance of winning the Ballon d'Or at the Bernabeu: https://t.co/3L6S7AM9RN pic.twitter.com/wNjMfQSlnu

— Goal (@goal) December 8, 2017

He enjoyed success in Catalonia, helping Barca win the treble in 2015 before leaving for Paris St Germain in a world- record 222m euro ($261m) deal this year. In September Neymar, 25, was involved in an on-field spat with team mate Edinson Cavani over who was going to take a penalty and there has been growing media speculation that his stint in the French capital could be a brief one.