Barcelona have confirmed payment for Neymar’s £198m buyout clause has been received.
Neymar’s world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain had hit a stumbling block after La Liga refused to accept the release clause for the striker, but the Spanish giants have now confirmed Neymar is no longer contracted to the club.
A Barcelona statement read: “On Thursday afternoon Neymar’s legal representatives visited in person the club’s offices and made the payment of 222 million euros in the player’s name with regards to the unilateral termination of the contract that united both parties.
“As such, the club will pass on to UEFA the details of the above operation so that they can determine the disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case.”
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PSG lawyers had arrived at La Liga HQ in Madrid on Thursday morning in an attempt to put the finishing touches on a deal for the 25-year-old Brazil international, which is worth nearly £450m (€500m) including wages, bonuses and the buyout clause.
Neymar has been offered a basic salary of £26.8m-a-year (€30m) after tax, around £515,000-a-week.
The LFP (Ligue de Football Professional) had expressed their surprise at La Liga’s refusal to accept the payment of the release clause, and had also asked La Liga to abide by the FIFA rules and its responsibilities.
Sky Sports News earlier reported PSG remained “very confident” the deal to sign Neymar will be completed, with the Brazil international now expected in the French capital on Friday ahead of the club’s opening league fixture against Amiens on Saturday.
