Neymar’s transfer in limbo as Spanish League rejects €222 million release fee

Neymar’s move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has entered legal limbo as La Liga has rejected the €222 million payment deposited by his lawyer.

The 25-year-old was expected to complete the move on Friday so as to play a part in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener on Saturday against Amiens.

However, the Spanish league on Thursday rejected the cheque deposited by Neymar’s lawyer, Juan de Dios Crespo, to trigger the release clause.

“We can confirm Neymar legal representatives went to LaLiga to pay buyout clause and it has been rejected,” La Liga said in a statement.

“That’s all the information we are going to give for the moment.”

The decision by La Liga puts the transfer in an unprecedented situation, although it did not come as a surprise to followers of the world-record move bid.

La Liga president, Javier Tebas, earlier said the organisation would reject that payment due to concerns over Financial Fair Play (FFP).

“Even if PSG do not meet the release clause we are going to report them,” Tebas told a newspaper, Sport on Tuesday.

“We have already warned the president of Paris Saint-Germain that we would do so and we see that PSG’s policy has continued in the same manner.

“They cannot invent some numbers where their commercial rights exceed those of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Nobody believes that.”

But PSG remains confident of forcing through the transfer.

The club were knocked out of UEFA Champions League in the quarter finals last season by Barcelona after, ironically, Neymar inspired a 6-1 comeback at Camp Nou after PSG had won the first leg 4-0.