
That 222m-euro sum doesn’t get paid to Neymar. If this reveals previously undetected injuries, it can affect the size of the transfer fee. Players also undergo medical examinations to check they are fit to play. This includes details of salaries and bonuses, such as signing-on and loyalty bonuses.

The player, their agent, the club and all their lawyers must thrash out a new contract. In many European countries the summer transfer window closes on August 31. The longer transfer window falls between seasons and the shorter one falls mid-season, but the exact timing is set by individual countries' football associations. FIFA regulations set out two annual periods during which clubs can buy in foreign players, known as transfer windows.
