Report: Neymar renews contract with Barcelona until 2021

The taxman is reportedly no longer standing between Neymar and a future at Barcelona.

According to ESPN Brasil, Neymar signed a new five-year deal with Barcelona that will rank him only second to Lionel Messi on the Blaugrana's payroll. The Brazilian phenom apparently put pen to paper on the new contract back in December, when the Catalan club was en route to its third Club World Cup title in Japan. Though, no official announcement has been made as he is sorting out tax-related issues.

Back in November, Neymar's father, who also serves as his son's agent, said that no contract extension would be signed until legal and tax assurances were given, as the pair are the target of tax authorities in both Spain and Brazil.

Related: Neymar's father will seek tax assurances before son commits future to Barcelona

In Spain, the real cost of Neymar's controversial transfer from Santos FC to Barcelona, which took place in 2013, is under investigation by the Audiencia Nacional (the Spanish National Court). The Blaugrana maintains that no more than €57 million was spent on the transfer, but Pablo Ruz, the case's first investigative magistrate, values the transfer at €83 million and alleges that the Catalan club hid the real price in a tangle of contracts.

In Brazil, the Tribunal Regional Federal da 3a Regiao, seated in Sao Paulo, froze R$188.8 million (€42.5 million) in assets belonging to Neymar, his family, and related businesses over alleged tax evasion, claiming that he evaded R$63 million in Brazilian taxes between 2011 and 2013.

Neymar's new contract will allegedly begin this summer and will last until 2021, meaning he will be 29 years old by the time it expires. His previous deal was set to run out in 2018.