Neymar Leaves Al-Hilal, Set to Re-Sign with Santos

Neymar is in discussions to re-sign with Brazilian club Santos after the Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal mutually terminated his 32-year-old contract. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer, expects to sign a short-term deal with the club where he began his career. This move ends his injury-ridden stint in Saudi Arabia where he played only seven times after joining for £77.6 million in August 2023.
Neymar made just two appearances this season with his last being as a substitute in November. Al-Hilal expressed thanks to Neymar for his contributions and wished him success in his future career. Neymar had about seven months remaining on his contract with the Saudi club which included a reported £129 million annual salary. Despite his high wages, Neymar struggled with injuries including a ruptured ACL during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023.
After returning in October, Neymar has not played since, citing concerns about a hamstring issue. Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire tried to sign Neymar but he rejected their offer, choosing instead to return to Santos. Inter Miami also expressed interest in reuniting him with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Neymar began his career at Santos, scoring 136 goals in 225 games before moving to Barcelona in 2013.
At Barcelona, he won multiple La Liga titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup. In 2017, he became the world’s most expensive footballer with a £200 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain where he won five league titles. Neymar’s transfer to Saudi Arabia followed his surpassing of Pele as Brazil’s leading male goalscorer, though he has not played for Brazil since his knee injury in 2023.
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