Neymar explains Barcelona exit: I wanted something bigger

The Brazil international ended his four-year stay at Barcelona on Thursday when his €222m release clause was paid in full, with Neymar signing a five-year deal in Paris to become the most expensive player of all time.

His motivation for the move away from Barcelona, breaking up a productive union with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, has been the subject of much speculation, with a salary of a reported £520,000 after tax being highlighted.

But Neymar said in a packed press conference that money was not his motivation. Neither was a much-reported desire to step out of Messi's shadow and become the leading star at a club.

Instead, the 25-year-old said that he wanted a bigger challenge than playing for Barcelona could offer. He said:

"No (being the big star) didn’t impact at all. I wanted to come to Paris and it is only linked to me wanting to find a new challenge. Not because I didn’t feel I was the big star at Barcelona. No, I felt well in Barcelona. That is not what I am looking for in Paris. I think that I have written my chapter at Barcelona, I won some trophies.... Of course you can't make everybody happy.

"I've done nothing bad. It's difficult to answer this question. I'm sad about the facts that the fans think (badly of him), I hope it's only a minority. I never lacked respect to the fans and I think that every player should be allowed to stay or leave a club.

"If I was following the money, I'd be playing for a different team in another country. I was never motivated by money, it has never been my first motivation. I am really sad people think I am motivated by money."

Neymar said it was a difficult decision to leave his friends and colleagues behind in Barcelona, who were disappointed to lose the player commonly seen as Messi's heir at Camp Nou.

Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also on stage alongside Neymar and said that PSG felt the transfer fee paid for the Brazilian was far from excessive.

The PSG chairman confidently claimed that the act of signing Neymar had increased the club's value by 50% - and said the player's own value would soar too, making the deal financially logical.

Al-Khelaifi also denied that the pursuit of Neymar was revenge for Barcelona's interest in Marco Verratti, as has been suggested, and hailed the signing of the best player of the world as a key moment for PSG as they target the Champions League along with domestic success.

Neymar is eligible to play in PSG's season opener against Amiens on Saturday at Parc des Princes and said he was available for coach Unai Emery.

Neymar operated on the left of Barcelona's front three during his time at Camp Nou and play as the No.10 for Brazil but said he had not discussed his role with Emery yet, with Edinson Cavani installed as PSG's central striker at present. "I don't know," he said. "I haven't discussed it with the coach yet. I just want to play."

He also outlined his hopes for what he will achieve in Paris.

There had been speculation that it was Neymar himself who paid his release clause, perhaps with some assistance from Qatar. But PSG chief Al-Khelaifi was adamant it was a club transaction.