Brazil superstar Neymar has reportedly agreed to take a huge pay cut as he seeks a summer return to Barcelona from French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
According to an exclusive report from Spanish publication Sport, PSG superstar Neymar has agreed terms over a five-year contract with former club Barcelona, as he prepares to make a comeback to Camp Nou in this summer’s transfer window.
Neymar had a hugely successful four-year spell with Barcelona, after having joined the La Liga champions from Brazilian outfit Santos in 2013. The 27-year-old went on to make 186 appearances for the Catalans, netting 105 goals and setting up 76 more, winning 2 La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League in the process.
Neymar though, shocked the football world when he completed a world record €222 million transfer to PSG in the summer of 2017, as he sought to emerge out of the shadows of Lionel Messi. However, things haven’t gone according to plans for the Brazilian international in Paris.
The 27-year-old has been blighted with injury issues in both his seasons at PSG, while there have been off-field disciplinary problems as well. With Kylian Mbappe emerging as the club’s MVP, Neymar is believed to have grown disillusioned at PSG and is seeking a transfer this summer, preferably back to Barcelona.
PSG too are open to a sale, with recent comments from president Nasser Al-Khelaifi strongly hinting that the club were far from pleased with Neymar’s superstar behaviour. This has opened up a window of opportunity for Barcelona to re-sign the forward.
Barcelona have struggled to fill the void left behind by Neymar’s departure two years ago. Ousmane Dembele arrived as the direct replacement for the Brazilian, but hasn’t been able to fulfill his immense potential, with injuries hampering his progress. Neymar’s compatriots Philippe Coutinho and Malcom have also been disappointing and are likely to be sold this summer.
Hence, Barcelona are ready to pounce on the chance of bringing Neymar back and according to the report have put forth a contract offer for the Brazilian, which he has agreed. As per the deal, the 27-year-old will earn close to €24 million per season, which will be a huge drop from his current wages with PSG.
Neymar is believed to be pocketing €3,069,520 per month with the French champions according to the report, which comes up to almost €37 million a year, meaning the Brazilian international will be taking almost a 40% pay cut in order to seal a return to Barcelona. The duration of the contract is reported to be five years.
Another condition specified in the deal is that Neymar withdraws his legal complaint against Barcelona regarding the commissions that were owed for his contract renewal just before he joined PSG, which he has agreed to as well.
The verbal agreement between Barcelona and Neymar over a contract is a huge step in the direction of a reunion. But, a transfer fee remains to be agreed with PSG and given the sour relations between the two clubs, that could take a while. As things stand though, Neymar is one step closer to returning to his old stomping ground.
