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Neymar Reportedly Owes Barcelona €100M Compensation over Broken Contract
January 17, 2018
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar reportedly owes former club Barcelona a compensation fee of €100 million (£88.8 million) after breaking a contract agreement for failing to see out his deal at the Camp Nou.
Spanish digital newspaper El Confidencial (h/t Marca) reported the €100 million contract Neymar signed at Barca in 2013 also included a break clause—previously thought to be worth €40 million—that would see him pay big in the event he left.
It's said Neymar was guaranteed a payment of €100 million over the five years of said deal, but he could now be forced to stump up the same fee, as the most expensive transfer in football history continues to have lasting implications.
The Brazil superstar more than doubled the previous world transfer record with his £200 million move to PSG in the summer and has lit up Ligue 1 in recent months, as illustrated by BT Sport Score:
BT Sport Score @btsportscoreMost assists in Europe's top five leagues this season: 🇫🇷 Paul Pogba (9 in 13 games) 🇧🇷 Neymar (9 in 14 games) 🇩🇪 Philipp Max (9 in 18 games) 🇩🇰 Pione Sisto (9 in 19 games) 🇩🇪 Leroy Sane (9 in 21 games) 🇧🇪 Kevin De Bruyne (9 in 23 games) #BTSportScore https://t.co/CUFvqM3FqP
According to El Confidencial, the contract Neymar signed upon moving from Santos in 2013 was based upon "a fixed salary, bonus payments specific to him as well as additional prize money for winning tournaments."
Speculation of a future move to Real Madrid has intensified of late, per Marca, and journalist Julian Laurens recently told BBC 5 live Sport he felt the transfer is an inevitable one (h/t MailOnline's James Dutton):
Although Neymar is among the top earners in the sport already, another transfer could be more feasible in the event he were to suddenly require a substantial injection of cash.
PSG are in any case under pressure to impress their talisman this season and convince him Paris is the place to stay, with Neymar recently saying the UEFA Champions League is a priority for the club, via Goal:
As noted by El Confidencial, the contract Neymar signed at Barcelona was reportedly used by DIS—who owned 40 per cent of the player's rights when he was at Santos—in November as part of a case opened against the South American.
The cruel part is Neymar would have been clear of any compensation charge from Barca had he remained at the Camp Nou for six more months, and this could all of a sudden turn into an expensive season for the star.