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PSG's Nasser Al-Khelaifi 'not really worried at all' by financial fair play

PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi says he is "not really worried at all" about potential Financial Fair Play sanctions after securing the €222 million signing of Neymar.

The French club had to pay Neymar's full buyout clause to secure his services from Barcelona, making the Brazilian the world's most expensive player by a wide margin.

PSG have faced questions about whether they can now adhere to UEFA's financial fair play rules, with La Liga president Javier Tebas saying he would file a complaint to the governing body and the EU over the transfer.

But speaking to ESPN FC in an exclusive interview, Al-Khelaifi said he was confident that his club will have followed all the rules.

"I'm not really worried at all about the Financial Fair Play because we have complied with the regulation since the start of the Financial Fair Play," he said. "We've been very transparent with UEFA, we will be always.

"We are very relaxed, we have very good people around me, the management, taking care of it, so we are very relaxed about it."

Asked if Neymar's expensive addition would mean PSG would now have to sell off some players, Al-Khelaifi went in the opposite direction, suggesting the club could yet look to add to their squad.

"The team knows, everybody knows, so if there's are any new players, we're going to announce them officially, there's nothing to hide," Al-Khelaifi said. "If we're allowed, then we're going to do it [buy], if we're interested in new players. So for the moment, we are happy with Neymar, so let's focus tomorrow on the match."

In a news conference to introduce Neymar earlier on Friday, Al-Khelaifi appeared to suggest that the forward had another buyout clause in his new PSG deal, but the chairman confirmed that was not the case, much to his relief.

"No, there is not, because it's illegal in France to put a buyout clause," he said ."It is [legal] in Spain, but in France we can not. We are lucky that we don't have this buyout clause!"

Neymar's transfer saga hit a final hitch on Thursday when La Liga refused to accept the cheque from Neymar's representatives to pay the buyout clause, prompting the French Football League (LFP) to criticise its Spanish counterpart and promise legal aid to PSG if needed.

And though Barcelona promptly accepted the payment directly, Al-Khelaifi said he believed the LFP would still take further legal steps against La Liga.

"It's not for my position to take about it. I think the French league did in a statement yesterday, and they announced the ruling," he said. "This is illegal what they did, La Liga, so I think you should look at their statement and I think they're looking at it in legal. I expect that's what they're going to do next, legally against La Liga."

Overall, however, Al-Khelaifi said he was pleased in how the deal was completed. He said he believes that not only is Neymar's signing PSG's biggest since Qatar Sports Investments bought the club, in 2012, but it's also the most important in the entire history of both the club and all of French football.

"I think it's the biggest transfer ever for the club. I mean, it's the best in France, in all of France," he said. "I think this is really the biggest, and we are very, very happy. Having the best player in the world in our club is amazing.

"Honestly, it was not easy, negotiation and managing this for us was very complicated. But I really appreciate all his team and my team, they worked really hard to achieve our goal that everybody was in line that he wanted to come here and we want that player, so finally he's here.

"We're very happy, and he knows what we have to do know. We did what we can and what we have to do and now as a player he's ready to play."

ESPN FC PSG correspondent Jonathan Johnson contributed to this report.

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