Paris: Neymar completed his record-shattering transfer from Barcelona to Paris St Germain (PSG) Thursday, signing a five-year deal with the French club after they triggered his 222 million euros ($263 million) release clause.
The 25-year-old Brazil forward, who will be presented to fans Saturday, is committed to PSG until June 2022, the club said in a statement. Media reports have said he could earn around 5,50,000 euros per week.
“Today, with the arrival of Neymar Jr, I am convinced that we will come even closer, with the support of our faithful fans, to realising our greatest dreams,” said PSG’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Both Barcelona and Spain’s La Liga questioned whether the move complied with UEFA’s financial regulations, with the club saying they would report the deal to European football’s governing body.
The transfer doubles the previous world record fee paid when Paul Pogba moved last August from Juventus to Manchester United for 105 million euros.
With the Spanish giants certain to be in the market for a replacement for the Brazilian forward – and with a hefty budget to invest – the Neymar move could set off a chain reaction of deals at top clubs across Europe. Yet for PSG the signing is a huge coup, bringing them one of the most exciting talents in the world game.
Gifted with a superb touch and an impressive repertoire of tricks, Neymar was part of one of the most devastating strike trios the game has ever seen, playing at Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
In four years in Catalonia, he won the Champions League once, La Liga twice, and the King’s Cup three times.
Neymar, who also has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Gillette, Panasonic and Beats by Dre, said he was looking forward to delivering trophies for the French club.
“I am extremely happy to join Paris St Germain,” he said in the club’s statement. “Since I arrived in Europe, the club have always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.
“From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to their millions of supporters around the world,” the Brazilian added.
Agencies
