La Liga giant Barcelona are demanding the £198 million release clause “in full” if they want to land their top summer target Neymar Jr. this summer.
The Brazilian arrived at the training ground with his father and his reps and told the club that he wanted to leave the Nou Camp, according to the BBC.
The manager of the team Ernesto Valverde, who wanted the players in full training ahead of the resumption of the league, allowed Neymar to stay away to sort out his future. The release clause for the 25-year old is £198 million and PSG are keen on meeting the full commitment.
Recently there were reports that the Spanish side would make a serious claim for Financial Fair Play investigation if PSG signed Neymar but after the player insisted that he wanted to leave things changed. La Liga president Javier Tebas had threatened legal action against the Ligue 1 champs but so far no action.
Neymar told his teammates he was leaving the club and they have started paying their tributes. Messi wrote on his Instagram profile: “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.”
The Olympic Gold medalist moved to the Nou Camp from Santos in 2013 for almost £50 million. He agreed to fresh terms last year but he would be exiting nonetheless. He would reportedly earn £650,000 tax-free wages per week.
The owners of PSG Qatari Sports Investment (QSI) are an arm of Qatar’s Sovereign wealth fund, so the pocket is very deep. The country is currently in a dispute with its neighbours but has refused to cower. Neymar would be an ambassador of the 2022 World Cup, which Qatar is hosting. He would also play a huge role in the club’s dream of winning the Champions League.