Neymar Jr has just brought a claim against Barça for the second part of the renewal bonus he says he was contractually owed when he left the club last summer, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports. The Brazilian footballer is claiming the 26 million euros they had agreed for renewing his contract to 2021 and 10% in interest. In total, the figure gets on for 30 million euros (£26.3 million, $37.2 million).
According to the report, Barça already has its response planned. They will claim profits deriving from the renewal and a fine of nine million in damages from the player, now at Paris Saint-Germain. The total could reach 75 million euros (£65.7 million, $93.1 million).
The war started at the beginning of August when Neymar decided to leave Barça, paying the 222-million euro buyout clause. The club, after receiving the check, refused to hand over the second part of his renewal bonus, believing that the player hadn't complied with his part of the contract.
Josep Maria Bartomeu's management team, which felt cheated during the pre-season by Neymar and those close to him, decided to deposit the money with a notary waiting for the conflict to be resolved. When PSG presented the forward, Barça toughened their stance and announced publicly they wouldn't pay a euro of the 26 million.
Neymar, incapable of stopping the rumours swirling around him of a hypothetical move to Real Madrid, has thus made the first step towards claiming a renewal bonus from committing to continue playing with Barça for 4 more seasons in 2016.
PSG, committed to their new star, have come out in his defence after Barça's claim. The Parisian club received the news with "surprise" and "regret" over the club's attitude.