PSG ready to pay Barcelona £196m fee for star Neymar

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN are growing confident of landing Barcelona star Neymar in a world-record £196million deal. The French club are willing to trigger the massive release clause in the Brazil forward’s contract, pay a signing-on fee of £45m and offer a five-year deal worth £596,000 a week after tax. Barcelona are adamant that Neymar is staying but sources say the 25-year-old is minded to pursue a move to Paris. Though the financial side of the deal is obviously tempting, money would not be the sole motivation. Those close to the deal say Neymar was struck by

the vision for PSG’s future — and his perceived role in it — presented during initial talks. PSG believe they have the infrastructure to become the dominant force in European football and provide Neymar with the platform to overtake Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to become the world’s best player. The fact PSG have a strong Brazilian contingent — Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, Marquinhos and Lucas Moura — is also understood to have been considered by Neymar. Further talks between the club and Neymar’s father, who advises his son, are scheduled to take place over the next 24 hours and are expected to be pivotal. However, club officials in Paris should retain a degree of caution. They believed they were on the cusp of landing Neymar last year only for the Brazilian to change his mind at the last minute and sign a new deal designed to keep him at the Nou Camp until 2021. But PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi is growing increasingly hopeful that his dream is set to become a reality. While Neymar’s exit would be a huge blow to Barcelona, it would open a slot for Kylian Mbappe, and the fee would allow them to proceed with a move for the Monaco wonderkid.