PARIS: French champions Paris Saint-Germain have denied a claim from the agent of Olympic champion Neymar that they tried this summer to prise him away from Barcelona with a salary offer of €40m a year net.

A source at the French champions told L’Equipe: “This is totally false, this would have cost more than 60 million per year. It’s obscene. Neymar has used us to raise the stakes with Barcelona.”

Neymar’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, told ESPN Brazil that PSG had tried to recruit the Brazilian star from Barcelona as a replacement for the departing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“Yes, Neymar was close to joining PSG,” Wagner Riberiro said. “The club were willing to pay the clause of 190 million euros. He would have earned €40m a year net.

“He extended at Barca earning less because he wanted to stay in Barcelona,” Wagner Ribeiro added.

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