Neymar extends his contract with Barcelona

Neymar has officially signed a new contract with Barcelona, which will run until 2021 and which has a mammoth release clause.

The forward’s new deal will be presented formally on July 15 in Barcelona before he joins up with the Brazil team for next month’s Olympic Games in Rio.

United, Paris Saint-Germain and City were reportedly all ready to bid huge to sign him.

NEYMAR HAS COMMITTED his future to La Liga champions Barcelona by signing a new deal until 2021, ending speculation about his future.

On Wednesday the Palmeiras goalkeeper was selected alongside Barcelona’s Neymar and Douglas Costa as the Selecao’s three permitted overage players at the tournament.

He tweeted: “Very happy to continue living that dream!”

After three seasons with Barcelona, Neymar’s statistics are outstanding.

Ever since, however, Barcelona have acted swiftly to keep the Brazilian at the club, who has created an outstanding connection with his fellow club strikers, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, to form a deadly attacking trio at Camp Nou.

Record shows that Neymar has scored 55 goals in 93 La Liga games since joining from Santos for a reported fee of £48.6m in 2013. “Long live Barca and long live Catalonia!”

It’s for that reason, and that reason alone, that Catalans president Josep Maria Bartomeu meant to dispel any chance of Neymar leaving Camp Nou this summer or any other time in the next five years with his comments on Thursday.

In Spain, such buyout clauses are required by law to be inserted into the contract of every player.