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04th Aug 2017

People aren’t buying Neymar’s reason to join Paris Saint-Germain

Cool story, bro

Robert Redmond

Paris Saint-Germain have unveiled Neymar.

The French club made him the most expensive footballer in history when they triggered his €222m (£198) release clause on Thursday evening. Neymar has also become one of the world’s highest-paid players, earning a reported €30m (£26.8m) a year after tax.

He’ll also receive a signing bonus, and his father, Neymar Sr, will reportedly receive 10 percent of the transfer fee.

However, according to Neymar, the move isn’t motivated by money.

No, he didn’t stop playing with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andreas Iniesta at Barcelona because he wants to earn £520,000 a week and live in Paris.

“What I say to these people is they don’t know anything about my personal life, I was never motivated by money,” Neymar said at Friday’s press conference.

“If I was following the money, I would be somewhere else, with other clubs in other countries. I’m really sad that people still think that way and I’m glad that PSG believe in me.”

PSG chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi said the 25-year-old could have earned more money at another club, but didn’t specify which club, and that he joined PSG for “motivation, a project that he believed in.”

Maybe he hasn’t joined the club for money, maybe he has always wanted to play against Metz, but most weren’t buying Neymar’s claim.

https://twitter.com/rhylanharris/status/893455101590982656