Brazilian star, Neymar, and Saudi Pro League giants, Al Hilal, have reached an agreement to terminate the forward’s contract, opening the door for his return to boyhood club, Santos.
32-year-old Neymar, who has not featured for Al Hilal since last October, is heading back to the São Paulo-based team more than a decade after leaving for FC Barcelona in 2013.
Injuries have limited Neymar’s time in Saudi Arabia after joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, featuring in only seven matches for the SPL club and scoring just one goal.
Al Hilal boss, Jorge Jesus, revealed earlier in January that the club did not register Neymar for the second half of the SPL season as it was considered that he would be unable to keep up with the physical demands of competing in the league.
While Jesus also stated that the Brazilian would be available for Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League campaign, being left out of the club’s league campaign signalled the end for Neymar’s time with the club.
Neymar’s exit from Al Hilal also comes at a huge cost for him as he reportedly gave up about $70 million in unpaid wages; proving his determination to make the move back to Santos happen.
The Brazilian club, recently promoted to the Serie A, is now working to maximise Neymar’s return in sporting and commercial segments, and reestablish the club as one of Brazil’s biggest clubs.
Neymar is expected to be officially unveiled in the coming weeks and will begin training with the squad.