The world's most expensive footballer Neymar insists it was ambition and not the lure of riches that convinced him to swap Barcelona for Paris St Germain.

Brazil forward Neymar, 25, has signed a five-year deal with ambitious Ligue 1 club PSG after his legal representatives paid Barca 222 million euros (£200.6million) to release him from his contract at the Nou Camp.

Neymar, who won the Champions League and two LaLiga titles with Barca, will reportedly earn 30m euros (£27m) net per year at PSG, or close to 600,000 euros (£540,000) each week after tax.

But the man hailed as "the best player in the world" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi at a press conference on Friday stressed his desire to help the French team achieve their dream of European glory was his guiding influence.

He said: "I wanted a new challenge. This was about ambition. My heart told me that it was time to sign for Paris St Germain. It was the right time to leave Barcelona and find new challenges.

"I was never motivated by money. I thought above all else about of the happiness of my family, regardless of money. I regret that some people think this is the case."

Among the challenges he has signed up for at the Parc des Princes this term will be PSG's quest to reclaim the Ligue 1 title from Monaco, who in May denied the Parisians a fifth straight championship.

That mission starts at home to newly-promoted Amiens on Saturday afternoon and Neymar is keen to get started.

"I'm ready," he told reporters. "If I can play tomorrow, why not?

"I will speak with the staff and wait for the green light, but this is what I love to do - play football."