Spain's La Liga rejects Neymar payment over PSG move – source

Spain's La Liga on Thursday rejected payment of a record-breaking release clause that would allow Neymar to leave Barcelona for Paris St Germain, a source from the national soccer league said.

A group of lawyers representing Brazilian Neymar visited La Liga in Madrid on Thursday to try to settle the transfer and pay the 222 million-euro ($263 million) break fee.

It was not immediately clear whether La Liga's refusal to accept payment would put the brakes on a transfer that mega-rich PSG believe will help them conquer the Champions League.

PSG's president Nasser al-Khelaifi declined to comment when asked about the latest development during a visit to a children's holiday camp outside Paris where France president Emmanuel Macron was also in attendance.

"I'm here today on behalf of PSG's foundation," Qatari businessman al-Khelaifi said.

The French League (LFP) issued a statement later saying it "did not understand" the refusal of La Liga to accept the payment of the release clause for Neymar.

"The LFP asks the Liga to abide by the FIFA rules and its responsibilities," the statement said.

"The LFP supports Paris St-Germain and wishes Neymar to join the Ligue 1 championship."

Buyout clauses in Spanish soccer differ from other major leagues in that it is the player, rather than the buying club, who must pay the buyout fee to La Liga in order to be released from the contract.

The money is then passed to the selling club. In normal circumstances the buying club would have paid the player the sum of the buyout clause up front.

Spain's Marca newspaper reported that Neymar and his advisers would turn to world governing body FIFA, requesting a provisional transfer to PSG.

The striker's agent Wagner Ribeiro had said on Wednesday that the French club was ready to foot the bill so that Neymar could be presented at PSG at the weekend.

La Liga president, Javier Tebas, had already warned in an interview that Spain's league would not accept payment by PSG to trigger the release clause, saying it was potentially in breach of UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

Under the those rules, a club's wage bill must not exceed 70 percent of its revenue.

UEFA, European football's governing body, told Reuters on Wednesday that had been no complaint received so far about PSG in this respect, adding that it would not block any potential deal in advance.

As the day dragged on videos emerged of Barcelona fans burning Neymar shirts, while team mate Luis Suarez posted a farewell message on Instagram.

"My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!" he said. "Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!! Keep like this and never change, love you little bro."

($1 = 0.8445 euros)