Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal terminates contract with Neymar

The Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal said on Monday that it had reached an agreement with striker Neymar to terminate his contract by mutual consent, UNN reports, citing AP and the club's statement.

Details

Neither side has provided details of the contract termination after the 32-year-old Brazilian, once considered one of the best players in the world, played only seven matches for the club, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Although he has been sidelined since October 2023 due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was part of the team that won the Saudi Arabian league last season.

Their contract was due to expire after Al Hilal's participation in this year's FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place from June 15 to July 13 in the United States.

The club said in a statement posted on social media that it "expresses its gratitude and appreciation to Neymar for what he has done throughout his career at Al Hilal.

The striker joined the Saudi club from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 for €90 million ($94 million), one of many deals that have propelled the Arab country into the world's new major football markets. But Neymar suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the most serious of his career, while playing for Brazil just months after joining Al Hilal.

Neymar returned in October and last played for the Saudi club in November. The Brazilian has said in various interviews that there are doubts as to whether coach Jorge Jesus will count on him for the rest of the season.

Dei Crespo, Neymar's spokeswoman in Brazil, told the Associated Press that the player would comment on his future later. Local media reported that the footballer is still waiting for the contract termination documents before announcing his departure.

Brazilian media have also reported that Neymar and his father are interested in a six-month return to his childhood club Santos, where he achieved national fame and his first matches for the Brazilian national team before joining Barcelona in 2013.

Brazilian national team coach Dorival Junior said at the end of last year that Neymar had not fully recovered for international football. In March, his team will play against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier in South America, and Neymar is unlikely to play.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 125 games, has previously said that he is focused on getting more game time to better prepare for next year's World Cup in North America, which could be his last chance to win the tournament.

French police raid tax office over Neymar transfer - Reuters18.01.24, 13:35 • 30889 views