Barcelona told Paris St. Germain it must pay a world record €222M ($263.7M) fee "in full" before Neymar can join the French club, according to Saj Chowdhury of the BBC. The Brazil int'l arrived at Barcelona's training on Wednesday with his father and representative, "and told the Spanish club he wanted to leave." PSG is reportedly ready to pay the 25-year-old's release clause. The latest development "comes two days after it emerged" Barça was ready to push for a Financial Fair Play investigation if PSG signed Neymar. That came after La Liga President Javier Tebas threatened "a legal response" against PSG if UEFA "failed to take action." Lionel Messi said in an Instagram post, "It was a great pleasure to have shared all these years with you my friend Neymar. I wish you good luck in this new stage of your life."
Neymar's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, on Wednesday tweeted that he was in Paris. Ribeiro said last year that his client had been offered a tax-free £650,000 a week to sign for the French club (
BBC, 8/2). In London, Joseph Cassinelli reported Barcelona said in a statement, "The player Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and agent, has informed FC Barcelona this morning of his decision to leave the club in a meeting held at the club's offices. Faced with this position, the club has informed them they refer to the buy-out clause of his existing contract which as of 1 July totals 222 million euros which will have to be deposited in its entirety." The transfer "would more than double the previous world record" of £89M that ManU paid Juventus for Paul Pogba last summer. The deal "is believed to have been delayed until after August 1" so that Neymar Sr., the player's father and representative, could earn a £23M ($30.4M) bonus from Barcelona "for his part in convincing the Brazil captain to remain in Spain and sign a new deal with the Catalan outfit last October." If Neymar had left before Monday, the bonus "would have been null and void." Barcelona insisted that the money "has been deposited with a notary and will not be paid should the player leave less than 12 months after renewing his contract." The move "is further complicated by La Liga's regulations regarding buyout clauses." It is mandatory for all La Liga players to have a clause written into their contracts (
LONDON TIMES, 8/2). In London, Murad Ahmed reported PSG's financial strength "comes from the commercial deals created by its owner, Qatar Sports Investments, a state-funded group." The club has been spending large amounts on players in an attempt to become "one of Europe's superpowers." PSG "did not immediately respond to requests for comment" (
FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/2). In Madrid, Andrés Corpas reported Ribeiro said, "PSG will pay the release clause and Neymar will be presented in Paris this week" (
EL MUNDO, 8/2). The BBC reported that Neymar will earn £40.3M a year before taxes from PSG, which equates to £775,477 a week (
BBC, 8/2).
'THE BOSS': In London, Hamish Mackay reported many players describe their agents as their "best friends" or "father figures," but Neymar's relationship with his representative "goes beyond that." Neymar and his representative "share blood, they share a name, and they share the spoils of his unique talent." The player said, "My father has been by my side since I was little. He takes care of things, my finances and my family. He is the one who is in charge. He's the boss. There's always somebody nearby, keeping an eye on me more than watching me" (DAILY MIRROR, 8/2).
'FINANCIAL DOPERS': ESPN.com's Jonathan Johnson reported Tebas said that he is "ready to file a complaint" about "financial dopers" PSG to UEFA and the European Union for what he feels are "clear breaches" of FFP over the French club's pursuit of Neymar. Tebas: "The complaint is ready and will be presented to UEFA, the European Union and the Swiss courts. Basically, the complaint will be over unfair competition and against teams that receive financial injections from owners that 'gift' players to their fans by taking them away from others. PSG are a clear example of 'financial doping' by club/state." Despite Tebas' comment, there is no mechanism for a club to "report" another club for "potential breaches of FFP, but Barcelona can put pressure on UEFA's Club Financial Control Body to apply the stiffest possible sanctions" if PSG is found to be in breach (ESPN.com, 8/2). EL PAÍS reported UEFA Exec Dir of Financial Fair Play & Sustainability Andrea Traverso said that UEFA "will investigate Neymar's transfer to PSG if it is finalized" to ensure that "FFP rules are respected." Traverso denied that UEFA "has received a complaint." He said, "The potential impact of PSG's signing of Neymar could have effects on the club's economic situation for many years" (EL PAÍS, 8/2). MUNDO DEPORTIVO reported PSG's "imminent signing" of Neymar "could bring the French state" around €300M ($356M) over the five-year contract he is expected to sign, according to estimates by French publication Le Figaro (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 8/2).
