Barcelona Says Neymar Cost Spanish Soccer Champion $75 Million
Spanish soccer champion Barcelona paid 57 million euros ($74.6 million) to sign Brazilian striker Neymar from Santos, teams Vice President J...
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Spanish soccer champion Barcelona paid 57 million euros ($74.6 million) to sign Brazilian striker Neymar from Santos, teams Vice President Josep Maria Bartolomeu said today.
Neymar, 21, flew into Barcelona to meet the media a day after playing for Brazil in a 2-2 draw against England in Rio de Janeiro. He said he signed a five-year contract with Barcelona on May 26.
The transfer fee for Neymar is being split between Santos, which owned 55 percent of his economic rights, and two other investors.
Supermarket owner Delcir Sonda’s company DIS paid 5.5 million reais ($2.6 million) in 2009 for a 40 percent stake in Neymar’s transfer rights, and Terceira Estrela Investimentos S.A. in 2011 acquired a 5 percent stake for 3.5 million reais in 2011.
At a news conference, Bartolomeu didn’t provide a breakdown of the amounts each party would receive as part of the deal, which also includes two exhibition games between Santos and Barcelona to be played in Brazil and Spain.
Barcelona has set a 190 million euro buyout clause in Neymar’s contract, he added.
Barcelona has paid Santos 10 million euros now, and will pay the remainder of the fee over the next three years.
The Spanish champion had been chasing Neymar for several seasons after he broke into the Santos first team at 17.
Bartomeu said Barcelona initially budgeted 40 million euros for the striker but had to raise the offer because of competition from other clubs.
Santos said last month it accepted two offers for Neymar, with local media reporting Real Madrid as the other bidder.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told the Cadena Ser radio station last month that signing Neymar would have been too costly for his club, the world’s richest soccer team by sales.
The transfer fee for Neymar is being split between Santos, which owned 55 percent of his economic rights, and two other investors.
Supermarket owner Delcir Sonda’s company DIS paid 5.5 million reais ($2.6 million) in 2009 for a 40 percent stake in Neymar’s transfer rights, and Terceira Estrela Investimentos S.A. in 2011 acquired a 5 percent stake for 3.5 million reais in 2011.
At a news conference, Bartolomeu didn’t provide a breakdown of the amounts each party would receive as part of the deal, which also includes two exhibition games between Santos and Barcelona to be played in Brazil and Spain.
Barcelona has set a 190 million euro buyout clause in Neymar’s contract, he added.
Barcelona has paid Santos 10 million euros now, and will pay the remainder of the fee over the next three years.
The Spanish champion had been chasing Neymar for several seasons after he broke into the Santos first team at 17.
Bartomeu said Barcelona initially budgeted 40 million euros for the striker but had to raise the offer because of competition from other clubs.
Santos said last month it accepted two offers for Neymar, with local media reporting Real Madrid as the other bidder.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told the Cadena Ser radio station last month that signing Neymar would have been too costly for his club, the world’s richest soccer team by sales.
