Who knows what to think of Neymar’s proposed €220 million to Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Gerard Pique, the Brazilian is staying at Barcelona. According to various reports in the media, he has agreed a five-year deal with the French giants.
Neymar hasn’t let the incessant rumours affect his form, scoring three goals in two pre-season fixtures, including the only goal in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Manchester United last night.
His proposed move to PSG would make him the world’s most expensive player, although L’Equipe are reporting that the Parisiens are considering a lower offer and including Marco Verratti in the deal.
Regardless, it would considerably trump the £89 million Man United paid for Paul Pogba last summer in a scary reflection of the vast sums of money circulating in modern football.
Premier League clubs have already spent more than £850m this summer and look destined to break the record £1.165bn they spent in the summer of 2016.
Daniel Levy: PL spending is unsustainable
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy, who hasn’t bought a single player this window, believes the current rate of spending is unsustainable.
"We have a duty to manage the club appropriately," Levy said, per BBC Sport.
"Some of the activity that is going on at the moment is just impossible for it to be sustainable.
"Somebody spending £200m more than they're earning, eventually it catches up with you. And you can't keep doing it."
Gigi Buffon reacts to Neymar's €220m fee
Another person who doesn’t think the levels of spending can continue is Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon.
Reacting to Neymar’s €220m price tag, the Italian used an analogy he heard from his grandfather to sum up the crazy amounts being paid by clubs around the world.
“It all sounds fake,” Buffon told Gazzetta dello Sport, per Goal. “Why is Neymar worth €220m and not €600m? My grandfather always said: ‘Inflate and inflate, but the balloon will always burst.’
“I can’t understand the parameters for evaluating a player anymore. It’s all very random and everything is in the hands of the people who have the most money: today it’s 10 but tomorrow it’s 100.”
Juventus have won the Serie A title six years in a row but Buffon believes their dominance will be challenged by AC Milan, who have spent a considerable amount this summer.
“I think they’ll be competitors because they have spent so much money, even if there is a state of indefinite value in this market,” the 39-year-old continued.