Neymar, Barcelona, Santos Sued Over Unpaid Fees: Latest Details, Reaction

Brazil star Neymar is to be investigated by a court for fraud in relation to his transfer from Santos to Barcelona. 

According to Reuters, a judge has given the go-ahead for the process following a legal report filed by Brazilian investment fund DIS.

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According to the piece, the company owned 40 per cent of the player’s rights prior to his move to La Liga and “alleges it was paid less than half the cash it was entitled to” after the player’s transfer. Sky News note that DIS alleges “corruption and swindling” against the player and a plethora of other key parties.

Neymar, as noted by the BBC, was said to have cost Barcelona a reported €53 million. But DIS is claiming that the sum was much higher—€83.3 million according to the aforementioned piece—and subsequently, it has been defrauded out of a substantial amount.

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Incumbent Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who will stand for the presidency again at the club’s upcoming elections, his predecessor Sandro Rosell and Neymar’s father were all cited in the lawsuit, as well as Barcelona and the player himself. Santos and two of their executives have also been named as part of the investigation.

Part of the upcoming process will see the court peruse details of other bids for Neymar while he was at Santos between 2009 and 2013, including those received from Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

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A date for a trial has yet to be set. According to the BBC piece, Barcelona are also already challenging the case, as are both Bartomeu and Rosell.

Neymar helped Barcelona to a historic treble last season with a string of memorable displays, winning the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Champions League. The 23-year-old is currently skippering Brazil at the 2015 Copa America in Chile.