Neymar Jr. set for return to former club, Al-Hilal and player's entourage working on contract termination: Reports
Neymar Jr. is reportedly set to terminate his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and return to his boyhood club Santos. Since joining Al-Hilal in 2023, Neymar has been confined to the club’s infirmary for a major chunk of his time there due to different injuries.
The Brazilian legend picked up a hamstring issue against Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League on November 4 and is expected to be out until December 15. Neymar Jr. has made only seven appearances for Al-Hilal while scoring one goal and providing three assists.
According to Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Neymar Jr. is set to return to his childhood club, Santos, as the club has reached an agreement with the Brazilian star. The 32-year-old’s entourage is working on the termination of his contract with his current club, Al-Hilal.
Santos are planning to announce Neymar at the end of the current campaign as they will return to the top flight of Brazilian football next season.
Neymar is a product of Santos’ youth academy. He started playing in the club’s youth setup in 2003 and made his professional debut for the senior team in 2009 before helping them win the Copa Libertadores in 2011. Besides, the 32-year-old is currently Santos’ all-time top scorer with 136 goals in 225 appearances across competitions.
Saudi Pro League CEO discusses the possibility of Neymar Jr. signing a new contract with Al-Hilal
Saudi Pro League CEO Omar Mugharbel has addressed the possibility of Neymar extending his stay at Al-Hilal. Mugharbel acknowledged that Neymar’s presence has added more value to the league, but stated his likelihood of staying in the SPL depends on discussions between him and Al-Hilal.
Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. is another player whose presence has elevated the status of the Saudi Pro League. Speaking about the prospect of the former Paris Saint-Germain man continuing his career with Al-Hilal, Mugharbel said (via FourFourTwo):
“Like Ronaldo, it’s a discussion between the club and the player on how they view their future. Having Neymar in the league, even though he hasn’t been playing, he has a massive following globally and he’s quite active from a community perspective, so it creates a lot of value for the league. But what the future holds, that’s something the player and the club have to discuss. We play a facilitating job, but the club has to be at the forefront of the decision-making. There are definitely discussions that happen, but it starts by the club and the player saying: ‘We want this to happen’. That’s 90 per cent of the whole process.”
Neymar’s Al-Hilal are currently at the summit of the Saudi Pro League table with 28 points after 10 league matches.