Neymar's Mother Ordered to Stand Trial in Tax Case Related to Barcelona Transfer

The tax investigation currently open against Barcelona superstar Neymar has crept further into his family connections after it was reported the player's mother has been ordered to stand trial in the case.  

Nadine Goncalves da Silva Santos will appear at the High Court in the case Brazilian company DIS currently has open against Neymar, his father, Neymar Sr., Barcelona and Santos. Luis J. Rojo of Spanish newspaper Marca obtained the court order for Nadine Santos, which read: "There is evidence that the mother of the footballer had a role in proceedings, in view of the fact that she owns a 50% stake in the company 'N&N' and said company was created just prior to the agreements in which it was stated that 10 million euros would be paid into it."

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It's reported the other 50 per cent stake in the family business belongs to Neymar's father, who has taken a firm hand in his son's football dealings, including the 2013 transfer from Santos.

DIS has complained of wrongdoing in that transfer and stated there was much more money in play than the reported €17.1 million that took Neymar to the Camp Nou.

The genuine value of Neymar's transfer has been hotly debated over the past two years, and Rojo specified the fee was "split between a number of different contracts," although DIS now appear disgruntled.

Neymar has enjoyed a fruitful first two years in Catalonia and is alleged to be closing in on a new Barcelona deal, but his father stated no business will be concluded until the end of his tax case, per Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse:

Neymar isn't the only Barcelona figure currently under Spain's legal microscope. In October, BBC News reported Lionel Messi and his father would stand trial following accusations of defrauding Spain of more than €4 million, weeks after Javier Mascherano was charged with two counts of a similar offence, defrauding the authorities of €1.5 million.

Brazilian football agent Wagner Ribeiro has advised Neymar to do away with paying taxes in Brazil altogether and, instead, take his riches to legal tax havens, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

The summons presented to the 23-year-old's mother is the latest revelation that shows while all may be running relatively smoothly on the pitch for Barca, things are far from tranquil off of it.

Neymar and his parents are now tangled in a case that would see his iconic image tarnished depending on the result of what's becoming a lengthy trial.