Neymar Jr close to joining his former club as Al-Hilal exit near: Report
Neymar is reportedly set to move back to his boyhood club after Al-Hilal decided not to register him for the second half of Saudi Pro League season recently.
Neymar Jr is closing in on his exit from Al Hilal after persistent injuries have marred his stay in the Saudi club since his arrival in August 2023. Neymar was arguably the second most prolific signing a Saudi club made after Cristiano Ronaldo but the Brazilian failed to make the same impact in the country as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action for Al-Hilal.
However, the 32-year-old is reportedly set to move back to his boyhood club after Al-Hilal decided not to register him for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season recently.
According to a report on ESPN, Neymar and Al-Hilal are all set to terminate the contract with mutual agreement, but the final details are still being negotiated. The two sides are expected to meet early this week with the hope of reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, if they manage to get it done, then Neymar will join a six-month deal with Santos with an option of an year's extension.
Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.
Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said recently: "He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately."
The 32-year-old has also made an honest admission that the 2026 World Cup will be his last, and he wants to give his best to play it, but the current situation at Al-Hilal isn't helping him much.
"I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it," the 32-year-old attacker, who has not played for Brazil in more than a year, told CNN in a recent interview.
