As is often the case with Neymar, the rumors were quick to spread.
In recent hours, they have swelled on a contract termination as surprising as it was brutal on the part of his club, the Saudi giant Al-Hilal.
A rumor which was immediately nipped in the bud by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano: “Al Hilal has NOT terminated Neymar Jr's contract. This information is denied by sources who qualify it as
fake news
.
»
In reality, the reason is a little simpler and more logical than that: the Saudi Pro League having an authorized limit for each team of foreign players, Neymar, injured, forfeits until the end of the season and which is therefore far from the football these days, has been removed from the list of eligible players to make room for Renan Lodi, who has just arrived from Olympique de Marseille.
“Then Neymar will return to the team,” says Romano.
🚨🇧🇷 Al Hilal have NOT terminated Neymar Jr contract.
Reports are being denied by sources as “fake news”.
Al Hilal will just make space in squad list for Renan Lodi as foreigner player as Neymar's injured and won't play again this season.
…then he's set to return to the squad.
pic.twitter.com/zVNkH31OVE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 18, 2024
Today, Saudi clubs are allowed a maximum of 8 foreign players.
At Al-Hilal, these eight places were occupied by Yassine Bono (Moroccan), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegalese), Ruben Neves (Portuguese), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbian), Michael (Brazilian), Malcom (Brazilian), Aleksandar Mitrovic ( Serbian) and, therefore, Neymar.
The recruitment of Renan Lodi would have been rendered null and void if Al-Hilal had not made room in its squad for him to play.
At the end of December, the Saudi league announced that this law would evolve so that clubs could welcome more non-Saudi players, starting from the 2024-25 season, going from 8 to 10. Renan Lodi and Neymar will therefore be able to, then, cohabit in peace.