How can a club possibly afford to spend €222 million on a single player?
That’s the question everybody is asking after reports suggest that Paris Saint-Germain are on the verge of signing Neymar for that exact amount.
With UEFA’S Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules in place stating that clubs can only spend up to €5 million more than they earn per three years, how can the Ligue 1 pull off the deal without falling foul of the regulations?
Well, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu doesn’t think it’s possible for PSG to trigger Neymar’s release clause without breaking the FFP regulations.
"He has a contract for the coming four years and, of course, we count on him," Bartomeu said.
"He's part of our team. He's part of this [attacking] trident [with Messi and Luis Suarez].
"These clauses are impossible to activate if you want to comply with Financial Fair Play. If someone doesn't want to comply, then of course it can be activated."
PSG's genius plan
But PSG have a plan.
In the FFP rules, it also states that clubs can exceed the €5 million over three years if “It is entirely covered by a direct contribution/payment from the club owner(s) or a related party. This prevents the build-up of unsustainable debt.”
Therefore, according to Marca, the French club will pay the €222 million via the personal sponsorship of Qatar.
The owners of the club are looking at the “possibility of a sponsorship agreement with Neymar through Oryx Qatar Sports Investments, its investment fund which is, in fact, the governing body of PSG, a Qatari property.”
As a result, they believe the €222 million would not impact the club’s accounts and falls within FFP regulations.
And details of Neymar’s potential contract at PSG has also been revealed. According to the same report, Neymar will sign a six-year contract, with €30 million-per-year - the same as Lionel Messi will earn when he signs his new contract.
Also, it’s believed he will pick up a crazy €40 million upfront fee when he moves to the Parc des Princes.
Crazy.