The Santos star has been strongly linked with a move to Camp Nou following a series of dazzling performances in his homeland and at international level.

And Edmilson believes the 21-year-old has the ability to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, who lifted two Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League with the Catalan side.

He told La Xarxa: "Neymar has a character like Ronnie [Ronaldinho], he plays football very cheerful, very fun, very spontaneous and with this commitment from Leo [Messi] to beat records every season, they can do great things together.

"He is focused and uncomplicated, so the fans will love him."

The 36-year-old, who retired from playing in 2011, also insisted Neymar must move on soon to avoid stagnating in Brazil.

He added: "In Brazil he has already done it all, he does not have any challenges left in Brazil. He should go to Barca and he will perform greatly."