MADRID: The Spanish right-wing watchdog Manos Limpias [Clean Hands] has sought to register a formal judicial complaint over the tangled finances of the Neymar transfer.

Simultaneously, legal action has been launched in Brazil by his former club, Santos.

Manos Limpias wants the Spanish courts to consider launching a criminal investigation against Barcelona president José María Bartomeu, predecessor Sandro Rosell, vice-president Javier Faus and the father of the Brazilian superstar (who is also his personal manager).

The organisation initiated its own case after Pablo Ruz, the judge who approved an inquiry into a previous complaint by Barcelona member Jordi Cases, ruled it would be improper for the organisation to associate itself with it.

Miguel Bernad, the right-wing politician who founded Manos Limpias and is its secretary-general, told Spanish media that the action had been initiated “because there appears to be an illegal situation and we want total clarity on the various contracts involved in the transfer.”

Bernard added: “If these investigations show similar behaviour surrounding other high-profile transfers in La Liga, then we will seek answers in those cases as well.”

Those ‘other’ deals of concern include the world record €100m purchase by Real Madrid last summer of the Tottenham forward Gareth Bale.

Judge Ruz is expected to rule on the Manos Limpias claim at the start of next week.

Legal action over the Neymar transfer is also under way in Brazil. His former club Santos have asked local courts to order Neymar’s father to hand over documents concerned a pre-contract agreed with Barcelona in 2011.

Barcelona have repeatedly stated that the transfer fee was €57.1m which included €17m to Santos and €40m to a management company run by Neymar’s father for other commissions and services.

However Barcelona have also stated, under pressure, that total payments to Santos, to the player and his associates – including wages, bonuses and commissions – could total more than €130m.

Documentation is already being studied by tax authorities in both Spain and Brazil.

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