Neymar's Transfer Will Go Through Because PSG Have So Much Money Financial Fair Play Doesn't Apply To Them

This morning Barcelona announced that Neymar had announced to them his intention to leave the club, presumably for Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona also announced that they informed Neymar his release clause, a cool 263.2 million, would still have to be met.

PSG have yet to actually meet this release clause, which would terminate Neymar's contract with Barcelona and allow him to sign a new one with PSG, but they certainly have the means. Messi has already said goodbye.

The higher-ups at La Liga are reportedly upset about their big boys not being the richest kids at boarding school anymore, and have reportedly resolved to block Neymar's move on financial fair play grounds. Financial fair play was instituted by disgraced former UEFA President Michel Platini to ensure clubs don't spend so much money on players they bankrupt themselves in the process. The simplest possible explanation of this is clubs must show profitability (or at least break even) and not spend more than 70 percent of their budgets on player wages.

The thing about being owned by Qatari oil barons, though, is whenever PSG run up against financial fair play their owners can do some creative accounting to funnel more money to PSG in order to meet financial fair play regulations. For example, another company owned by the same Qatari oil barons could sponsor, like, the inside of PSG's socks or something, or become the official PSG furniture manufacturer, and pay an exhorbitant amount to do this.

They may not even have to do that in Neymar's case, too. Presumably there will be players left without much playing time on PSG's bench who would command high fees elsewhere (we hear Barcelona is looking for a new attacker), which would help offset Neymar's buyout clause and wage bill. Combine that with the amount of revenue a player as famous as Neymar brings in with jersey sales, etc. and the whole thing just might resolve itself without any creative accounting.

Really, the number of ways PSG can meet Neymar's release clause is limited only by the imaginations of PSG's accountants. So long as they don't run afoul of UEFA, who I'm sure would conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

Actually, we bet some creative accounting could take care of that, too.