It was a deal that stunned the football world. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/neymar/" target="_blank">Neymar</a> was a Barcelona hero who had helped the Catalan club win just about every trophy going during his four years at Camp Nou. The Brazilian had played a key role to help Barca secure two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey three times, the Uefa Champions League and Fifa World Club Cup, forming a fearsome attacking trident alongside <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/lionel-messi/" target="_blank">Lionel Messi</a> and Luis Suarez. In 186 appearances, Neymar scored 105 goals for the Spanish side. But by 2017, a new financial force had emerged in European football. Backed by their Qatari owners, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/paris-saint-germain" target="_blank">Paris Saint-Germain</a> had matched the mind-blowing release clause of €222 million and the Brazilian was heading for the French capital. “Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings,” Neymar said at the time of his transfer. “I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge. “From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.” The world record transfer fee had been smashed – and by some distance – and PSG's astonishing swoop has still to be beaten. We take a look at the progression of world-record transfers before Neymar's in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe. All figures have been primarily sourced from <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.com/">transfermarkt.com</a>.
