Neymar deal cost Barca nearly US$118m
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, January 26, 2014
The deal to sign Neymar cost Barcelona 86.2 million euros (US$117.97 million), including payments to the forward and his family, the club said after the player's father revoked a confidentiality agreement.
The Brazil international's close-season move from Santos, which the Spanish club initially said was worth 57.1 million euros, is being investigated by a court for possible misappropriation of funds following a complaint from a Barca member.
Sandro Rosell, who was named in the lawsuit but denies wrongdoing, stepped down as president on Thursday. He said he wanted to protect the club's image and alleged he and his family had been threatened.
Barca had been reluctant to reveal all the details of the deal, citing the confidentiality agreement, but after a board meeting on Friday, Rosell's successor Josep Bartomeu said Neymar's father had given them permission to go public.
Barca director Raul Sanllehi reiterated the transfer on its own had cost 57.1 million euros, including 17.1 million euros to Santos and 40 million euros as a "compensation fee" paid to a company owned by Neymar's parents.
However, he also detailed other payments around the transfer such as a signing bonus of 10 million euros and fees paid to the family bringing the total to 86.2 million.
Barca is paying Neymar 8.8 million euros in wages per season for his five-year contract, said Sanllehi.
"Neymar's father waived the confidentiality agreement because he considers what has happened (to Rosell) to be unjust," Bartomeu said.
Neymar had received more lucrative offers from rival clubs but chose Barca because he wanted to play alongside Lionel Messi, he added.
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