La Liga has refused to accept a €222 million payment from Paris Saint-Germain to trigger Barcelona star Neymar’s buyout clause, the Spanish league confirmed to ESPN FC.
Barcelona said on Wednesday that Neymar intended to leave the club, but they would only allow him to move on if his full buyout clause was paid. But specialist sports lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo was turned away when he arrived at La Liga’s offices in Madrid on Thursday with a cheque for the full amount.
Contacted by ESPN FC, La Liga said: “We can confirm that the legal representatives of th player [Neymar] came to La Liga to deposit the clause and that it has been rejected. This is all the information we can give at the moment.”
Marca said La Liga has no legal grounds to reject the payment and that PSG and Neymar would be within their rights to ask FIFA to intervene in the matter in an attempt to finalise the deal.
The acceptance of the transfer fee would be the final step, as sources told ESPN FC Neymar has already travelled to Portugal to undergo his medical examination.
Another source indicated that an announcement of Neymar’s signing was expected on Thursday or Friday, depending on when La Liga’s obstruction could be overcome.
