Neymar not expensive for £198m – Mourinho

Neymar is expected to complete a £198m move to PSG from Barcelona

Neymar’s imminent 222m euro (£198m) transfer to Paris-St Germain is “not expensive” but the consequences will cause “problems”, says Jose Mourinho.

The Brazil forward, 25, told Barcelona he wanted to leave on Wednesday.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp criticised the proposed world-record deal in light of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules.

“I thought Fair Play was made so that situations like that can’t happen,” said Klopp. “That’s more of a suggestion than a real rule.”

Neymar’s transfer would top Paul Pogba’s then world-record move from Juventus to Manchester United last summer by more than £100m.

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Mourinho said: “Expensive are the ones who get into a certain level without a certain quality. For £200m, I don’t think [Neymar] is expensive.

“I think he’s expensive in the fact that now you are going to have more players at £100m, you are going have more players at £80m and more players at £60m. And I think that’s the problem.”

He added: “Neymar is one of the best players in the world, commercially he is very strong and for sure PSG thought about it.

“So I think the problem is not Neymar, I think the problem is the consequences of Neymar.”

The Brazilian forward will earn 865,000 euros (£775,477) a week, which will equate to 45m euros (£40.3m) a year before tax.

PSG’s total outlay across the initial five-year deal will come to £400m.

Financial Fair Play rules, first implemented during the 2011-12 season, stipulate that European clubs cannot spend more than they earn.