Barcelona have reacted swiftly to deny fresh allegations that they acted illegally during the purchase of Neymar from Santos this summer.

The controversy surrounding the Brazilian star’s arrival in Spain has been a long-running saga, already claiming a high-profile victim with the resignation of Barca president Sandro Rosell in January after a lawsuit was brought against him by club member Jordi Cases.

The former president was replaced by Jose Maria Bartomeu and the Catalan club were crossing their fingers that Rosell’s departure from his position of power would be enough to draw a line under the matter, but those hopes were dashed on Wednesday with the news that Spanish public prosecutors have lodged an official accusation against the club for tax fraud.

Madrid-based judge Pablo Ruz has been investigating the case following the allegation against Rosell by Cases, with the matter complicated by the intricate nature of the €86 million (Dh433.9m) deal, which saw some payments made to Neymar’s former club Santos, others directly to the player and another hefty chunk to a company controlled by his parents.

In particular, a payment of nearly €40m (Dh201.8m) appears to be at the heart of the matter, with the authorities believing it should be included in the deal and therefore attract tax of nearly €10m (Dh50.5m), while Barca claim it was a penalty clause for signing Neymar a year earlier than they initially agreed, making it tax-free.

Public prosecutor Jose Perals was quoted stating: “There is a whole series of contracts that show signs of simulation, as well as financial engineering operations.”

However, Barca have already stated in the past that the deal was complex but not illegal, and they responded to the latest allegations within a few hours by insisting their actions were proper, stating: “The club’s dealings with respect to this operation were at all times in line with the relevant legal legislation.”

The La Liga leaders also claimed they want to take the matter into their own hands by defending their case in a law court as quickly as possible, adding: “Represented by its lawyers, the club will appear at the Jutjat Central d’Instruccio number 5 within the next few days in order to defend its interests and rights. “

We express our total willingness to collaborate with the justice authorities in this matter, as we have done since the first moment the issue arose and in any other area in which our presence may be required.”

Neymar has managed 12 goals in 28 games for Barca and was involved as a substitute as Barca beat Manchester City 2-0 on Tuesday.