PSG must pay £198m ‘in full’ for Neymar, say Barcelona

Barcelona have told Paris St-Germain they must pay a world record 222m euro (£198m) fee “in full” before Neymar can join them.

The Brazil international arrived at training on Wednesday with his father and representative, and told the Spanish club he wanted to leave.

He was then given permission by Barca manager Ernesto Valverde not to train and to “sort out his future”.

PSG are understood to be ready to pay the 25-year-old’s release clause.

That came after La Liga president Javier Tebas threatened, in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, a legal response against the former Ligue 1 champions if European football’s governing body failed to take action.

He also said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi had been made aware of the Spanish league’s intentions.

Neymar moved to Barcelona from Brazilian club Santos in 2013 for £48.6m, and signed a new five-year deal with the 24-time Spanish champions in 2016.

His representative Wagner Ribeiro, who on Wednesday tweeted he was in Paris, said last year that his client had been offered a tax-free £650,000 a week to sign for the French club.

He also said the forward “was close to a move to Manchester United”.

Rumours of Neymar’s potential departure resurfaced recently, but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu told the BBC the player would be staying.

Neymar played for the Catalan side in the recent International Champions Cup in the United States, before travelling to China to fulfil commercial commitments.

He travelled back to Spain on Tuesday and returned to the club’s training ground yesterday.

The Brazilian has scored 105 goals for Barcelona, helping them to two league titles, three Copas del Rey and a Champions League crown.