Spanish newspaper makes staggering claim about Neymar’s new contract

Barcelona really pushed the boat out to retain Neymar.

The La Liga giants faced a fight from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United for the Brazilian forward, with both clubs heavily linked with a move for Neymar over the past year. However, all the speculation was put to bed on Friday when it was announced that the 24-year-old has signed a new five year deal with Barcelona. Neymar's buy-out clause is €200 for the first year of the deal, €222m for the second and €250m for the remaining three years, an upgrade on the previous buy-out of €190 that was reportedly tempting both PSG and United. If that wasn't enough to fight off interest from rival clubs, Barcelona have given Neymar a contract worth €25m a year after tax and, according to Spanish newspaper Marca, a more lucrative deal than that earned by Lionel Messi. Messi's salary is a reported €22m a year, but Neymar appears to now be the highest paid footballer in the world.