Ligue 1 English

Neymar accepts 50 per cent wage cut to force through summer move back to Barcelona

Well what do you know – miracles will never cease!

Neymar is reportedly willing to accept a hefty 50 per cent wage cut in his resolute determination to secure a summer move from Paris Santi-Germain back to Barcelona, come hell or high water.

The Brazilian star has been regularly linked with a return to the Nou Camp despite PSG’s £175million asking price being likely to prove a stumbling block.

However, Monday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo reports that Neymar is determined to force through his return to Catalunya and is apparently willing to make a financial sacrifice to show his full sincerity.

Neymar earns £600,000-a-week under his current contract at PSG but, according to the report, is willing to reduce this to £300,000-a-week back at Barcelona as the Blaugrana are unable to meet his current exorbitant £600,000-a-week wages.

This willingness to accept such a drastic wage cut from Barcelona comes despite Neymar being one of the players who had rejected planned wage cuts at PSG amid the coronavirus crisis.

Back in November, the 28-year-old had rejected a new contract offer worth £90m to stay at the Parc des Princes. His existing deal runs until 2022 and this offer would have tied him to PSG until 2025 but Neymar indeed does look dead set on returning to Barcelona at all costs.

Mundo Deportivo also report that PSG could reduce their asking price to around £132m in the coming days now the player has made clear he doesn’t want to stay beyond this summer.

Barcelona has made it known that they are open to bringing Neymar back but also want to sign Inter Milan’s Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, who has a £98m release clause.

And while Barcelona were seemingly confident about their ability to sign both players, the financial impact of the Covid-19 shutdown, which has already seen their squad accept a 70 per cent pay cut, may mean it is no longer possible.

Reports over the weekend also suggested that Barcelona have already lost £124m as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Neymar has enjoyed a fine season for PSG, scoring 18 goals and contributing 10 assists in 22 matches across all competitions with PSG having been awarded the title following the cancellation of the Ligue 1 season amid the coronavirus pandemic and had made it into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, should the competition resume later in the year.