French police raid office amid Neymar transfer investigation

French law enforcement officials have raided the Treasury Office in Paris as part of an investigation into Neymar Jr’s record-breaking 2017 transfer.

Mediapart reports that the player’s move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain is now being investigated by the Justice Department.

Police officers from the Central Office to Fight Corruption and Tax Fraud conducted the search in relation to claims that the Parisian club benefited from tax advantages to help fund the transfer. They are thought to be investigating the relationship between Jean-Martial Ribes, PSG’s former communications director, and Hugues Renson, who was serving as deputy for France’s ruling party at the time of the transfer.

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The investigation began in 2022 but the latest development, a police raid of a government building, signifies an escalation in the sprawling case.

Neymar previously acquitted in Santos transfer case

The ongoing investigation in France is not the first time that a transfer involving the Brazilian star has faced legal scrutiny. Neymar moved from boyhood club Santos to Barcelona in the summer of 2013 and developed into one of the most devastating forwards in the world at the Spanish giants.

However the unusual nature of Neymar’s move to Barcelona brought accusations of fraud and corruption. The player and all involved in the charges were acquitted in 2022.

A Brazilian company, DIS, claimed that they had been misled over the total value of Neymar’s deal. They owned 40% of the player’s rights while at Santos.