Neymar says search for happiness is motive for joining PSG

PanARMENIAN.Net - Neymar insisted that money was not a motivation in deciding to join Paris Saint-Germain and said Friday, August 4 that he would not be burdened by his 222 million-euro ($262-million) price tag, The Associated Press reports.

The Brazilian star flew in from Barcelona on a private jet for his official presentation, arriving in a city whose soccer fortunes he is expected to transform.

At a packed Paris news conference, Neymar found it “really sad” to be asked whether the riches on offer were the reason for his decision to swap one of soccer’s most illustrious teams — Barcelona has won every major honor multiple times — for a club yet to win the biggest competitions outside of France.

“I was never motivated by money,” Neymar said at the PSG stadium. “What I think about is happiness. If I was following the money I would maybe be in some other country.”

The move more than doubled the previous transfer record.

“The fact I am the most expensive player is not a burden. I am 69 kilograms (152 pounds),” Neymar said through a translator.

A record-breaking transfer leaves PSG having to squeeze every euro out of the signing — through sponsorship, merchandise and jersey sales — to ensure the club complies with European soccer’s financial regulations.

Posters of the Brazilian — accompanied by the words “Welcome to a Paris Neymar Jr 10” — were unveiled to cheers on the front of the central Paris store where fans had been waiting for hours to get their hands on jerseys emblazoned with his name.

With Neymar on board, supporters expect the team will achieve much more than just regain the French title from Monaco.

The transfer could also elevate the 25-year-old forward to new personal heights as he emerges from the shadow of Lionel Messi at Barcelona.