Paris Saint-Germain soccer superstar Neymar has reportedly agreed to a lucrative two-year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. According to France’s leading sports daily, L’Equipe, Neymar is set to receive a staggering total of 160 million euros ($175 million) over the duration of the contract. While no details were provided regarding the transfer fee, Neymar has been previously linked with a return to his former club Barcelona.
Neymar’s current contract with PSG is scheduled to run until 2025. However, recent developments suggest that his departure from the French club may be imminent, possibly during the summer transfer window. In fact, he missed PSG’s season-opening match against Lorient due to a reported viral infection, but there are indications that this may be a sign of his exit.
The 31-year-old Brazilian international initially joined PSG from Barcelona in 2015 for a world-record fee of 222 million euros ($244 million). In the same year, French forward Kylian Mbappe also joined PSG from Monaco for a hefty sum of 180 million euros. Interestingly, Al-Hilal had previously made a record $332 million bid for Mbappe, who is currently in the final year of his contract and has been caught in a transfer standoff. Rumors suggest that Mbappe may be considering a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer next season.
Meanwhile, tensions between PSG and Mbappe seem to have eased slightly. After positive discussions between the two parties, Mbappe was allowed to return to training. The young forward was excluded from the squad for the match against Lorient, along with midfielder Marco Verratti, who has also been linked with a possible move to the Saudi league after his long tenure at PSG since 2012.
As of now, it remains to be seen whether Neymar will officially leave PSG and commence his journey with Al-Hilal. The football world eagerly awaits further developments in this high-profile transfer saga.
