Former Hearts and Rangers defender Andy Webster is to be mentioned in a deal surrounding Brazilian superstar Neymar – there’s a sentence you probably weren’t ever expecting to read.
Neymar’s former club Barcelona are currently trying to get him back from PSG. The winger initially left the Catalan giants for Paris back in 2017 but former Jambo and Rangers defender Webster could prove a key selling point.
Both Barca and PSG are thrashing out a deal but the Camp Nou team have a transfer loophole up their sleeve.
Webster did it first
This loophole is called ‘the Webster Ruling.’ Hears demanded seven figures for Webster back in 2006 once he was frozen out of Tynecastle plans after the defender sought after a move to Rangers.
Webster put FIFA’s Article 17 into practice in order to make a move to England happen. He had served more than three years of his contract, which meant he was no longer covered by FIFA’s ‘protected period.’
An 18-month legal battle ended in Hearts earning just £150,000 after Webster made the move to Wigan. He would make just four appearances with the Latics before getting his chance at Rangers.
Barca have looked at this case and believe that because Neymar will have completed three years in France by the time this summer rolls around, Article 17 can once again be used, this time in order to bring the Brazilian back to the Catalan region.