Neymar AGREES Barcelona transfer as €60m lever activated
Robin Bairner
- 11 Aug 2023 11:54 BST
- 3 min read
Neymar will return to Barcelona, with a transfer close according to sources in Spain.
The PSG star departed Camp Nou for a world-record fee of €222 million in the summer of 2017 but could make a dramatic return to the Catalan side after being told that he is not in Luis Enrique’s plans at Parc des Princes.
Catalan source Beteve reports that a deal is “imminent” that will see Neymar return to Barca.
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It is stated in the report that Barcelona were waiting for the 16% buyout of Barce Studios by a German investment firm for €60 million to be completed. In turn, this would free up the funds required by the club to sign the Brazil international star. This deal was made official by Barcelona on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed by PSG that Neymar will miss Saturday’s Ligue 1 fixture against Lorient because of a “viral infection”.
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Neymar is willing to lower his PSG salary to around €12 million net per year in order to make the deal happen.
Agent Pini Zahavi is being credited as the mastermind behind the deal, with the 30-year-old’s representative having led the negotiations thanks to his strong relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
What is Neymar’s transfer fee?
One potential stumbling block comes over Neymar’s transfer fee. PSG are known to have had what is described as a “very good offer” from the Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for the winger, but Barcelona will struggle to match that deal.
Neymar is hoping to negotiate a release from his contract at PSG, which runs until 2026, in order to push through a free transfer to Barcelona, though this is clearly a complicated operation.
Ben Jacobs has reported that PSG have rejected a €45m bid for the player and are holding out for €60m.
The former Santos youth is known to have prioritised staying in Europe over a switch to the Saudi Pro League, which kicks off on Friday night.
A return to Barcelona appears to be Neymar’s favoured option, with the odds now suggesting that he will return to Camp Nou six years after leaving.
