French league urges La Liga to accept Neymar payment

The French league on Thursday stepped into the Neymar transfer affair, calling on their Spanish counterparts not to block the Brazilian's move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The LFP issued a strongly worded statement hours after La Liga refused to accept a cheque presented by Neymar's advisors for 222 million euro ($260 million) to pay his buyout clause with Barcelona.

The French body urged the Spanish league "to stick to FIFA's rules and its responsibilities" to allow the 25-year-old's world record switch to the French capital.

"The LFP is astonished and does not understand La Liga's refusal to simply accept payment of the release clause," a statement read.

It added that the LFP has put its legal team at PSG's disposal to resolve the issue "in order that Neymar's contract can be resolved with the minimum delay.

"The LFP supports Paris Saint-Germain and wishes Neymar's arrival in the Ligue 1 championship."

Earlier, a La liga spokesperson told AFP: "We can confirm that the legal representatives of the player attended La Liga to pay the clause and this has been rejected."

La Liga president Javier Tebas has been an outspoken critic of PSG's move to snatch one of the Spanish league's biggest stars.

Tebas believes the astronomical sums being spent by the French giants, including a reported 30 million euro salary after tax for Neymar, makes it impossible for them to comply with financial fair play regulations (FFP).