Mourinho: Neymar deal 
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Mourinho: Neymar deal 
not expensive

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insists the 222-million-euro (S$357m) fee Paris St 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 the Barcelona star's switch goes through, it would be more than double the record fee of £89m 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 yesterday morning (Singapore time).

"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.

"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."

KLOPP BLASTS RULES

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp criticised the deal and questioned the effectiveness of Uefa's financial fair-play (FFP) rules, which stipulate that a club's wage bill must not exceed 70 per cent of the revenue.

"There are clubs that can pay fees like that - Manchester City and PSG. Everyone knows that," Klopp said.

"I thought fair play was made so that situations like that can't happen.

"That's more of a suggestion than a real rule... I don't know how it happens."

Uefa told the Telegraph that FFP would be enforced, saying it is "exceptionally serious" that clubs are not permitted to make losses of over 30 million euros over three years. - WIRE SERVICES

Champions LeagueJose MourinhoManchester United