Neymar to PSG: Barcelona warn French side that they will not authorise exit negotiations

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has warned Neymar's suitors that the Catalan outfit will not negotiate the Brazilian international's departure at any price. Manchester United have been linked with the 24-year-old since last summer, while reports in Francis this week suggested Paris Saint-Germain were ready to do all in their power to make him their next marquee signing.

Neymar, who has scored 27 goals in 39 appearances this season, is under contract at the Nou Camp until 2018 with a release clause of €193m (£154.1m, $219.4m). However, his future at the Liga giants has come under scrutiny in recent times due to the delays in negotiations with the club over a new deal. His father has warned the player will not renew any contract at Barcelona until his tax issues are solved.

Speaking in court in early February during the ongoing investigation into the player's transfer from Santos in 2013, Neymar's father revealed that United would be happy to pay his son's release fee, and admitted that they had already tried to lure him to Old Trafford last summer.

The Barcelona star's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, said earlier this week to L'Equipe that PSG would not have any economic difficulties matching Neymar's full €193m clause, adding that his charge could be tempted by a move to the Ligue 1 billionaires.

Barcelona's president, however, has insisted the player is going nowhere.

"If anyone comes now to negotiate for Neymar, we will not authorise it," Bartomeu said to Globo Esporte. "He will remain at Barcelona."

Bartomeu also said he wants to resolve the legal issues surrounding Neymar's transfer from Santos in the summer of 2013, with the Brazilian side saying they were cheated as they received only a small part of the total fee paid. The larger amount went to the player's family as compensation for choosing a move to Barca rather than any other club.

"I always say that Neymar has nothing to do with this," he said. "The only thing he said was: 'I want to play for Barcelona.' That was his desire. The controversy has died down a lot in recent months and I hope it ends soon with a definitive decision.

"We always want kids to arrive free. Neymar's contract with Santos ended in 2014, so we would not have to negotiate with Santos. So we reached an agreement with his father: 'If Neymar ends up free, we want him to come to Barcelona, and we will pay money to the family.' But our coach [then Tito Vilanova] wanted Neymar before.

"Santos should be very happy that our coach wanted Neymar quicker [as] that way they got money for him. If he had come after the World Cup, Santos would not have got anything. Not Santos, not DIS, nobody. Barcelona fulfilled all its commitments."