- Title: Neymar transfer fee 'beyond rationality' - Wenger
- Date: 3rd August 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (AUGUST 3, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "Apart from that the numbers we are not in a period anymore where you think or you think in some places I will invest that and I will get that back. We are beyond that. There is a certain, the number today is involved a lot of passion, pride, public interest and you cannot rationalise that anymore."
- Embargoed: 17th August 2017 16:49
- Keywords: PSG soccer Barcelona transfer Paris Saint-Germain football record Arsenal Arsene Wenger Neymar
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0036SLSVNJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described Neymar's prospective record-breaking transfer to Paris Saint-Germain as 'beyond rationality'.
The Frenchman was speaking at a news conference in London on Thursday (August 3) ahead of his side's Community Shield match against Premier League champions Chelsea.
Brazilian forward Neymar is on the verge of a move to the Parisian side from Barcelona for a fee of 222 million euro.
Wenger said it is difficult to respect Financial Fair Play regulations when a state owns a football club and views a player like Neymar as good investment for their country.
The Arsenal manager also said his side cannot compete at the same financial level as PSG and that a player is worth whatever a buying club can afford to spend.
Neymar's move appeared to hit a roadblock on Thursday as La Liga rejected the payment of his Barcelona release clause, though it was not immediately clear whether it would put the brakes on the transfer. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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