Neymar must appear in court in February as fraud defendent

The Brazilian attacker is at the centre of a dispute in relation to the reported €57m (£48.6m) transfer fee that was paid by Barcelona to Santos in 2013.

He will appear on February 2, while on the 1st Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell, have been called in. Javier Faus, a former vice-president of the club, has been called to appear as a witness.

A court statement said: “The judge … believes that the prosecutor’s requests are ‘relevant, necessary and balanced’ for them to require an examination of the facts.”

Barcelona insist they acted fully within the law and rejected the accusations brought to them.

DIS owned 40 per cent of Neymar’s rights and say they have been paid far less than they deserved when the deal for him to join Barcelona was sealed in 2013.