Brazilian star Neymar is poised to return to his boyhood club Santos following the termination of his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal by mutual agreement.
The 32-year-old, who struggled with injuries during his time in Saudi Arabia, played only seven matches for Al-Hilal after his £77.6 million move in August 2023.
His tenure included a lengthy recovery from an ACL injury sustained during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. To everyone at Al Hilal, to the fans, Thank you !!I gave everything to play and I wish we enjoyed better times on the pitch together ..To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiencesI now know the real Saudi and have friends for lifeI always… pic.twitter.com/NgeoUjZk1D - Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) January 28, 2025 Despite interest from Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire, Neymar opted for a sentimental return to Santos, rejecting offers that included a potential reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Inter Miami.
Neymar, who remains the world's most expensive footballer after his £200 million transfer to PSG in 2017, aims to reignite his career at Santos, where he scored 136 goals in 225 games before his breakout move to Barcelona in 2013.
