Neymar Jr has become the most expensive footballer of all time after joining Paris St-Germain for $263 million. Elsewhere, Newcastle will face competition from a host of clubs for the signature of Arsenal forward Lucas Perez, while Turkish giants Fenerbahce have joined the race for Gremio forward and Liverpool target Luan. Here's a full report of these transfer headlines:
PSG signs Neymar
Paris Saint-Germain has officially announced the signing of Neymar Jr. from Barcelona on their website just hours after the La Liga club acknowledged the receipt of $263 million on Thursday evening.
The former Barcelona star told www.PSG.fr, “I'm very happy to join PSG. Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most ambitious and competitive team. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join them, is to help the club to win trophies that their fans want.
“Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the energy and passion this brings. I've played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take on another new challenge.”
Neymar Jr, 25, whose legal representatives on Thursday morning paid Barca the world-record fee to terminate the contract which tied him to the Spanish giants, has penned a five-year mouth watering deal with PSG.
The Brazil international star is said to be earning $709,000 a week at his new club.
Perez willing to move on
According to Chronicle Live, Lucas Perez has been linked with a move to Newcastle United but the Spaniard's agent Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle has revealed there's a huge interest in his client. Lovelle told BBC.com, “Two clubs in Spain have already contacted my client for a possible summer move, Sevilla also want to sign Perez, and a German Bundesliga club and Fenerbahce FK are negotiating to sign him up this summer.”
Lovelle also explained how it is Arsenal Football Club's decision on where Perez will play next season, with the north London club intent on holding out for $17.7 million. Lovelle continued: “But Perez is a footballer who has a three-year deal left with Arsenal Football Club and his future depends wholly on the decision of the club.
If Arsenal decide to close the transfer for him they must convince him, which clubs can reach a deal with Arsenal can sign him. There's simply no problem for us.”
Lucas Perez, 28, is seriously eyeing a move away from Arsenal this summer in search of a regular first team football destination after a frustrating debut season in the Premier League, where he managed to earn just 22 appearances for the Gunners.
Luan wanted by several European clubs
Turkish giants Fenerbahce FK have joined the race for Luan as they look to sneak in ahead of both Sampdoria and Liverpool, according to Inside Futbol. Serie A club Sampdoria is said to have been working to try to lure the 24-year-old striker to Italy, while Liverpool is just one of the clubs to be linked with Luan. The Brazilian talent earned his first senior cap for Brazil early this year and has been 'tipped” as a future star in the world of soccer.