Neymar has reportedly agreed to exit Barcelona in order to join Paris Saint-Germain, with the French giants prepared to activate his release clause.
Brazilian outlet Esporte Interactivo (h/t AS) reported the superstar will cost the Ligue 1 team €222 millon, shattering the transfer world record.
The former Brazil captain came close to joining the French powerhouse last summer, and will now move up north from Catalonia in a move that’s likely to cause seismic shocks at the Camp Nou.
EXCLUSIVO! @neymarjr aceitou a proposta do @PSG_inside e deve ser anunciado nas próximas semanas! A informação é do nosso @marcelobechler! pic.twitter.com/xua4AN4WK6
— Esporte Interativo (@Esp_Interativo) July 18, 2017
Neymar, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Manchester City, is set to earn €30m (£26.6m) a year with PSG.
Reports in Spain claim that Neymar is looking to move clubs in order to boost his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or by being the main star of a team – something which he feels he is unable to do whilst playing alongside Lionel Messi.
Persistence was the name of the game for PSG in their pursuit of Neymar, and it appears Unai Emery has finally got the marquee player he needs to firmly establish the club as elites of European football.
Neymar put in a terrific shift last season for the Catalans and wrapped the campaign by scoring in the final of the Copa del Rey for the third year on the trot.
His most memorable performance came in the Champions League last 16 clash against PSG, incidentally, in which he inspired Barca to a 6-1 victory after trailing 4-0 from the first leg.
Neymar has spent four seasons at Barca after his switch from Santos in 2013, forming a devastating attacking trio alongside fellow South Americans Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
But he’s always been the subject of a move away from the Camp Nou as the club struggles to match the trio’s mammoth wage bill.
Should the move be confirmed, he is likely to start on the left of an attacking trident featuring another pair of South Americans – Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria.