Daily Star

NEYMAR PAY DAY

- By PAUL BROWN

the passion and the energy this brings.

“I feel ready to take the challenge. From today, I will do everything I can to help my new team-mates.”

Initially PSG wanted to pay the money directly to Barca but the Spanish FA refused to accept it.

They believe PSG are breaking Financial Fair Play rules and are guilty of “financial doping” via their mega-rich Qatari state owners.

Court

The French FA quickly hit back, claiming their counterpar­ts had acted unlawfully and demanding they abide by FIFA rules.

With PSG set to ask world football’s governing body to provisiona­lly approve the transfer, it looked like the case could end up in court.

But Neymar’s lawyers cut out the middleman by taking the cash to Barca to trigger his release clause.

The hitman could be unveiled in Paris later today on a five-year deal worth £515,000 a week after tax.

French public accounts minister Gerald Darmanin welcomed the transfer earlier in the day, saying he is “delighted” Neymar will soon be paying taxes in the country.

But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit out at the deal, saying: “Once a country owns a club, everything is possible.

“It becomes very difficult to respect Financial Fair Play.

“That’s why I always support football living with its own resources.

“The inflation is accelerati­ng. It’s beyond calculatio­n and beyond rationalit­y and it will have implicatio­ns because of the consequenc­es it will provoke.

“What costs £50m today for Barcelona will cost £100m because they have so much money in their pocket.”

Q NEYMAR’S world record transfer finally went through last night – despite a day of farce descending into an angry war of words.

Paris St-Germain sealed a deal for the Brazil star after his lawyers deposited the £200m release clause in full to Barcelona.

Neymar was celebratin­g last night, saying he was joining “one of the most ambitious clubs in Europe”.

He added: “Paris St-Germain’s ambition attracted me, along with

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BIG MONEY: PSG new boy Neymar
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