Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says Neymar's £198m fee is 'not expensive'

David Young3 August 2017

Jose Mourinho insists the £198m fee Paris Saint-Germain are poised to pay for Neymar is "not expensive".

Mourinho believes the Brazilian striker is worth the record-breaking price tag, but he did express concern the move would inflate the value of players who were not so deserving of big transfer fees.

If Neymar's switch from Barcelona goes through it would be more than double the record fee - worth £89m at the time - that took Paul Pogba from Juventus to United last summer.

"When we paid that amount for Paul I said that it was not expensive," Mourinho said after United's 2-1 friendly victory over Sampdoria in Dublin.

"Expensive are the ones who get into a certain level without a certain quality.

"I think that Neymar is the same (as Pogba). I don't think he is expensive. For £200m I don't think he is expensive.

"I think he is expensive (in) the fact that now you are going to have more players at £100m, you are going have more players at £80m and more players at £60m.

Neymar - In pictures

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"And I think that's the problem.

"Neymar is one of the best players in the world, commercially he is very strong and for sure Paris St Germain thought about it.

"So I think the problem is not Neymar, I think the problem is the consequences of Neymar."