Barcelona sanctions Neymar’s £198m world record transfer to Paris St-Germain

Neymar has been given permission to leave Barcelona as he looks set to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a 222m euros (£198m) deal. The Brazilian striker arrived at Barca’s training ground on Wednesday to tell his team mates there that he is moving PSG, Catalan radio RAC1 has reported. The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later.

The 25-year-old forward was travelling back from China and had earlier posted a video on social media apparently from Dubai airport, amid suggestions that he could have been bound for Paris. He has remained silent while rumours swirl that he will join the French club, who are reportedly ready to pay the 222 million-euro ($260 million) buyout clause in his contract at the Camp Nou.

Neymar, who was in Shanghai on Monday fulfilling a sponsor’s engagement, had also posted a photo on Instagram with the caption in Portuguese: “Lunch at half-way”. In another video posted from an aeroplane, Neymar joked around with an image messaging app that superimposed a Spanish flag and a small plane on his tee-shirt — suggesting he was indeed headed home to Barcelona. The decor in that video was identifiable as from an Emirates aeroplane.

Earlier reports claimed that he was …read more