Barcelona transfer roundup: Club confirms Neymar wants to leave and more
Barcelona confirm that Neymar is leaving
In an official statement released recently, FC Barcelona have revealed that Neymar has handed in a transfer request to the team, and is all set to move away from the Nou Camp.
The player Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and agent, has informed FC Barcelona this morning of his decision to leave the Club in a meeting held at the Club’s offices.
Faced with this position, the Club has informed them they refer to the buy-out clause of his existing contract which as of 1 July totals 222m euros which will have to be deposited in its entirety.
Furthermore, in reply to the claim for the contract extension bonus, the Club has once again made it clear that the amount remains deposited with a notary until the case is resolved.
The player remains under contract at FC Barcelona but with temporary permission to not take part in training sessions.
It was earlier reported by BBC Sport that Neymar visited FC Barcelona's training ground in the morning to inform his teammates that he is leaving the club. Barca boss Ernesto Valverde asked him to not train in order to ‘sort out his future’.
Earlier in the day, the transfer saga saw a fresh twist when the La Liga top brass revealed the following in an official release,
"We will not accept the money for the liberation clause, the reason is that we have doubts that this money is in accordance with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules."
PSG are expected to visit the La Liga office in the afternoon today to discuss the issue.
Manchester United favourites to sign Andre Gomes
Andre Gomes, who has found himself in the doghouse at Barcelona, has found an admirer in United manager and countryman Jose Mourinho, according to The Daily Express.
The Red Devils, who completed the signing of Nemanja Matic just a few days ago, are still in the hunt for young legs to cover the defensive line and let Paul Pogba work his magic.
“Jose Mourinho seems to have set his sights on signing fellow countryman Andre Gomes from Barcelona this summer in a bid to bolster his attacking options ahead of the start of the new season," BetStars Director Ian Marmion said.
The 24-year-old Portuguese international was impressive for Valencia in the 2015/16 campaign. The Catalans, who have been scouring the market for ideal replacements to Xavi and an aging Iniesta and Busquets cashed in and signed Gomes in a bid to revamp their jaded midfield.
Gomes is valued at £50m at Barcelona and United will ideally try to get him for less than that. But as we have seen in the recent past, money has never been much of an issue for Manchester United - so this will not have a big impact on the outcome.