Neymar’s record move: The transfer that broke Barcelona and burdened PSG

Robin Bairner

• 6 Apr 2026 01:01 CDT
• 7 min read

Analysis

When Neymar set the world transfer record by moving from Barcelona to PSG, it was supposed to be the deal that propelled him to superstardom. Instead, it was a €222 million deal that ended an era at Camp Nou and marked a new chapter of ‘bling-bling’ spending in the French capital.

Since Qatar Sport Investment took over PSG in 2010, money had been poured unsuccessfully into the Parc des Princes side in order to bring European glory. The likes of Thiago Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even David Beckham marked phase one of Qatar’s plan to take over the continent, but a series of mishaps thwarted them at every turn.

The greatest of these was La Remontada, that famous night at Camp Nou when a Neymar-inspired Barcelona recovered from a 4-0 first-leg deficit to knockout PSG with a 6-1 victory. It was perhaps the last great night of ‘MSN’ – the combination of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar who had, for a time, terrorised defences across Spain and Europe.

Neymar, in particular, was insatiable. With the clock showing 87 minutes and Barca still needing three goals, the Brazilian popped up with two, setting the stage for Sergi Roberto to prove the late hero in one of the most remarkable games of all time.

It was a fateful victory. Barcelona’s last great hurrah prompted PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to take the nuclear option after another year of Champions League hurt; he chose to break the transfer market with a transfer of unfathomable proportions.

When Neymar had signed his previous deal at Barca in 2016, he was given a €222 million buyout clause. This was seen as a symbolic gesture as no club would pay that figure for a player. The Blaugrana were about to be proven wrong.

How the deal went down

In July 2017, murmurs that Neymar wanted to leave Barcelona had grown into full-blown speculation, with PSG, backed by Qatar’s riches, ready to complete a sensational move.

Initially, these rumours were dismissed, with Neymar playing a normal part in the Catalans’ pre-season preparations, notably scoring a terrific solo goal against Juventus. Gerard Pique even went public on his social media account with his now infamous ‘se queda’ – ‘he’s staying’ – message.

But behind the scenes, the gears of a deal were slowing grinding into action, and by the time Neymar stormed out of training following a clash with Nelson Semedo, a transfer was looking ever more inevitable.

“Neymar is one of our best players and so we don’t want to lose that player,” president Josep Bartomeu told the New York Times. “We want him to continue with us. He still has four years of his contract so there is nothing else to say.

“You know that players decide if they want to leave, they can decide. But as far as Barcelona, we want him and we need him. Because if we want to win, we need the best players possible.”

When Neymar failed to travel back with the squad from their US Tour after helping Barca beat Real Madrid 3-2 in what proved to be his final outing for the Camp Nou side, speculation reached fever pitch.

Claims in the Spanish media that Dani Alves was fuelling the player’s desire to leave for Paris were denied by the former Barcelona right-back, who hit back on his own social channels: “Lies. I am not trying to convince anybody of anything. When I speak with him, we talk about everything but football. If he is happy, I am happy.”

The situation was tense.

Eventually, the breakthrough was made less than a week after Neymar’s training ground clash.

On 3 August 2017, Barcelona announced that they had received payment from Neymar’s legal representatives that the player had triggered his release clause with a €222m payment.

In an unusual twist, La Liga tried to block the deal. It would normally be the recipient of the payment, which it would then pass to the club, but it refused, claiming a violation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) ruled. This proved scant resistance against the financial might of PSG’s Qatari owners.

PSG find their star

Neymar claimed that his desire to move was driven by the prospect of a new challenge. He was to be PSG’s figurehead, and the expectation was that he would also be the player to lead them to Champions League glory in a deal simultaneously designed to strengthen their marketing appeal as much as their footballing qualities.

In order to appeal to the Brazilian, PSG offered him a reported €30m per year – around twice his wages at Barcelona – and the platform to forge a claim for the Ballon d’Or away from the shadow of Messi, who continued to dominate world football along with Cristiano Ronaldo at that point.

“In his place I would have gone to Paris Saint-Germain too, because it is his chance to become No. 1 and he will have a real chance to become the best player in the world,” Brazil great Cafu told Goal.

“PSG need an idol and a star and Neymar right now is that idol, that star.

“PSG have never won a Champions League and with Neymar they have the chance to win. He will be the man.”

How did it pan out?

It’s unarguable that Neymar’s time at PSG was not what was hoped. There was no Champions League for the club and no Ballon d’Or for the player in what proved to be a turbulent six-year stay at Parc des Princes that was marked by off-field controversies and constant injury issues.

In raw statistics, Neymar put up good numbers, scoring 118 goals and providing 80 assists in 173 matches – a goal contribution every 73 minutes he was on the field. The trouble was getting him there.

Indeed, there’s little doubt that Neymar’s impact was seriously hampered in Paris due to his constant battles with his body – and French referees certainly did not help his cause by clamping down on physical challenges.

He spent several long spells on the sidelines, often at key points in the season, and even for the 2020 Champions League final he was not fully fit.

But there is a sense that he did not help himself by leading a life of excess.

PSG right-back Thomas Meunier spoke out against the party culture in Paris, which Neymar was portrayed to epitomise.

He told RTBF: “When I was at Bruges, we'd celebrate birthdays by playing darts or pool in a bar, but at PSG it's just outrageous.

“But that just reflects the club: hire a palace, hire a building, parties with hundreds of people. That's when you see that they're more than footballers; they're stars.”

It was two years after Neymar was sold to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for €90 million in 2023 that PSG were able to go all the way in the Champions League, having learned the importance of a team is greater than that of a fantastic set of individuals.

Neymar sale sparked Barcelona disaster

Barcelona, meanwhile, are still feeling the effects of the events of 2017 nearly a decade on.

Instead of spending the Neymar millions judiciously, president Bartomeu and has colleagues panicked. Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho had soon arrived for a combined cost that was significantly greater than the money they had received for Neymar.

Indeed, Barcelona actually lost more than €140 million in that 2017-18 season on player trading, despite the Neymar money.

Furthermore, in November, worried that PSG might be back to poach Messi, they offered the superstar a contract that was worth upwards of €100m per year. Of course, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner accepted, becoming the highest earning footballer on the planet by a sizeable margin.

Barcelona were transfixed on replacing Neymar to such an extent that all rationality was lost. Dembele and Coutinho flopped, the club’s fortunes worsened along with their financial position, and yet the spending continued.

Antoine Griezmann’s €120m arrival from Atletico Madrid was the last big gamble, but it too failed, with the World Cup winner unable to integrate with Messi in such a way that he could continue his fine form from the capital.

The club has yet to recover from these financial decisions.

A failed deal all round

Neymar, meanwhile, has never fulfilled his early potential. He left Messi’s shadow to be instantly eclipsed by another rising star in the form of Kylian Mbappe, and while he boasted a commendable goal record in Paris, injury deprived him of reaching the heights that he might have.

The €222m transfer might have changed the course of footballing history but there was no clear winner in this deal.