Andres Iniesta welcomes Neymar to Barcelona

Neymar is traveling to Barcelona to sign a five-year contract on Monday after choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid. He led Santos to its greatest run since Pele stopped playing for the club in the 1970s. Neymar helped Santos win the 2010 Brazilian Cup,the 2011 Copa Libertadores and three straight Sao Paulo state championships.

With Neymar set to become his Barcelona teammate,Andres Iniesta is already predicting a bright future for both the Brazil star and the Spanish club.

“He can bring us a lot because he is very talented player,” said Iniesta. ”He brings his ability to break down defenses,to score,and to entertain. He is young. He has a long path ahead of him,and he is coming to the best place to grow.” Iniesta also tried to ease the pressure on his new teammate and allay any concerns fans might have about whether two major stars like Messi and Neymar can play together.

Neymar is flying to the Mediterranean city on a private jet that left Brazil after the national side’s 2-2 draw with England on Sunday in a friendly. He will then quickly return to his home country for the upcoming Confederations Cup which Brazil is hosting in preparation for the 2014 World Cup.

Neymar led Santos to its greatest run since Pele stopped playing for the club in the 1970s. He helped Santos win the 2010 Brazilian Cup,the 2011 Copa Libertadores and three straight Sao Paulo state championships and remains the club’s leading scorer in the post-Pele era with 138 goals in 230 matches.

Barcelona has not disclosed the financial details of the transfer,but Brazilian media said the Catalan club will pay about 30 million euros for the youngster.

Santos had fielded offers from Barcelona and Madrid and said it was up to Neymar to choose where he wanted to continue his career. Neymar signed an agreement to join the Spanish champions on May 27.