Neymar and Barcelona are set to meet in court, just three weeks after the club’s failed bid to sign him from PSG, and with speculation already rife over whether the Camp Nou based outfit will attempt to land the 27-year-old in the next winter or summer transfer window.
The player and club, however, will go head to head on 27 September in a courtroom in Barcelona, with Neymar suing Barcelona for 26 million euros, while Barcelona are suing Neymar for 75 million euros.
Had the PSG player returned to the club that brought him from Brazil in 2013, it was expected that both actions would have been dropped, but with the Brazilian staying in Paris, the legal gloves remain off.
The case revolves around a 40 million euro bonus the forward was to receive for signing a new contract with Barcelona just months before he left for Paris, paying (thanks to PSG) his buy-out clause of 222 million euros.
Neymar had been paid 14 million of the bonus upfront, with Barcelona withholding the other 26 million when he decided to leave. The player considers he’s entitled to the full amount, plus interest at 10%.
Meanwhile, the Catalan giants are counter-suing Neymar for 75 million euros for failure to honour his contract.
The court case has already been postponed twice. It was originally scheduled for 31 January 2019 but was postponed at the last minute, on 28 January.
The next court date was arranged for 21 March but was again postponed, when Neymar’s lawyers refused to provide the player’s contract with PSG in their documentation. The judge then moved the hearing on 27 September.