Real to sign Neymar in December

Real Madrid has reached a deal with Santos to sign gifted Brazilian teenage striker Neymar in December, a Spanish sports daily reported on Sunday.

The 19-year-old, fresh from winning the Copa Libertadores with Santos, has been linked for months to a move to Real Madrid or English Premier League side Chelsea.

"The club has agreed to the request of the player and postponed his arrival until after the World Club Cup" to be held in Japan December 8-18, "so the player would celebrate Christmas as a brand new Real Madrid player," the sports daily Marca said on its website.

It said the deal will be announced this week, and Neymar would arrive in Madrid on December 20.

Neymar's current deal with Santos is worth almost two million dollars a season through to 2015.