In a statement on its website, the club said it had come to an agreement with the Spanish authorities over the case surrounding the signing of Neymar which is currently being heard in the Courts of the Province of Barcelona.

Barcelona said: ‘The agreement involves the recognition by the club of an error in tax planning for the signing of the player, for the fiscal years 2011 and 2013, when they did not correctly withhold payments resulting from his incorporation. In addition, the club has been exonerated from responsibility for the fiscal year 2014, which was also part of the proceedings.

‘The board considers the approval of this agreement to be a positive step, one that puts an end to a situation of legal uncertainty that could have affected the viability of the club's sporting and economic plan in the coming years.’

There have been several investigations in both Spain and Brazil into the handling of Neymar’s transfer fee when he moved to Spain from Brazilian club Santos, in a complex deal involving multiple contracts.
The tax probe was launched after a club member questioned the figures given for the Neymar deal. Barcelona initially said they paid €57.1m but later said the cost was nearer €100m.

Fellow Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has also been in court facing tax charges recently. He stands accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay between 2007 and 2009 in order to avoid taxation on €4.16m (£3.2m) of image rights. The trial concluded earlier in June, but the verdict has not yet been announced.