The announcement of Julian Draxler‘s transfer to Al Ahli has set off alarm bells at UEFA. The German is the third PSG player to leave for Qatar this summer, bringing in a total of 85 million euros for the Parisian club.
All this at a time when the French club needed major sales to balance the books and avoid the shadow of Financial Fair Play.
Given the closeness between Qatar and PSG, and the fact the French club are owned by QSI, the highest European body has decided to open an investigation to assess the validity and fairness of these transfers.
According to L’Equipe, UEFA could freeze these sums so that they do not count in their accounts, as well as facing a possible sanction.
The German follows in the footsteps of Verratti and Diallo to Qatar. The Italian’s departure was the one that aroused the most suspicion.
Tebas was among the first to react sharply, denouncing PSG‘s practices.
“We can do like France, which does not control PSG while selling Marco Verratti to Qatar for more than 40 million euros, or I don’t know how much. We can do that too, find a satellite country to buy players from us for a big profit and then buy all the players we want. I don’t think so,” commented the LaLiga boss.
These transfers will be examined by the Financial Control Committee, although for punitive action to be taken, it must be shown that the buyer and seller are too close.
In the past, sponsorship deals between Qatari companies and the French capital club have already been examined by UEFA as “related parties”.
Draxler, following in the footsteps of Verratti and Diallo
Draxler was the latest to leave for the Qatari country in a deal that has left the Parisian side with 20 million euros.
He is the third PSG player to do so after Verratti and Diallo in a single market. The Italian made it for 50 million, while the Frenchman would do it for 15 million making a total of 85 million.
The German’s transfer comes after reports in the last week that he would not be leaving for Qatar due to personal problems.
Days later, the matter appears to have been resolved as Draxler passed his medical in Doha on Saturday and signed for his new club Al Ahli for two seasons.
Three players who had been discarded by Luis Enrique and left out of the squad in pre-season. PSG had managed to sell players they had not counted on for significant sums.