Neymar is set to move to Al-Hilal, giving the Saudi giants the superstar name they have pursued all summer and freeing Paris Saint-Germain from a player they have wanted to offload for a few years now.
The Brazilian forward, whose $263 million transfer from Barcelona to PSG in the summer of 2017 remains the most expensive transfer in football history, is expected to join the Saudi Pro League on a two-year contract, pending the completion of a medical exam and final paperwork. Unless there is a last-minute change, Neymar will agree to a package that is comparable to the €200 million per year that Cristiano Ronaldo earns at Riyadh rival Al-Nassr. The player is reportedly set to sign a deal that will pay the Brazilian $175 million. Additionally, PSG will receive a fee of $98 million, a significant increase from the $47 million that Al-Hilal initially proposed to close the deal.
Securing Neymar ends Al-Hilal’s long search for one of the biggest names in the sport. Lionel Messi had long been the number one target of the Saudi Pro League, but the Argentine chose Inter Miami.
The 31-year-old has had a questionable injury history in recent years and has only once made more than 30 appearances in all competitions for PSG. There will be some relief at Parc des Princes with Neymar’s departure two years before the end of a contract.
The Brazilian will be the latest and arguably the most high-profile addition to the Saudi Pro League after a summer of ambitious spending that saw players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Roberto Firmino arrive in the country. Neymar would join new signings Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and Malcom in Jorge Jesus’s team, which will start the season against Abha this coming Monday (14).
Source: CBS