It's official. Neymar Jr. leaves PSG to sign for Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia. The 31-year-old Brazilian will continue his career in the league of the Persian country, which continues to recruit big names this summer based on checkbook. After rumoring a possible return to Barcelona, economically unviable, Al-Hilal has taken the cat to the water by presenting the best economic offer: around 80 million euros plus objectives for PSG and a contract of two seasons at a rate of 200 million for the player.
🎬 "Or marvelous talent... that attracted Atenção of all" @neymarjr 💙 #نيمار_هلالي #الهلال pic.twitter.com/TTzADrVGJJ
— نادي الهلال السعودي (@Alhilal_FC) August 15, 2023
Last week, Neymar formally communicated to PSG his desire to leave the team this summer. The attacker still had four years left on his contract with the Parisian team, but was "deeply traumatized" by the concentration of fans outside his home in early May to show their discontent and ask him to leave Paris, according to L'Equipe.
In the Saudi league he will face players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Mahrez, Benzema, Kanté or Mané, who have arrived in recent months to the competition. At Al-Hilal he will share a dressing room with former Barcelona player Malcom, Ruben Neves, Koulibaly and Milinkovic-Savic.
The Brazilian arrived in Paris in 2017 for a historic transfer of 222 million euros (which is still the most expensive in the history of football). His performance has been well below expectations, without getting the coveted Champions League and with many extra-sporting problems and injuries. Even so, his numbers have not been bad, with 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 games.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of PSG, has dedicated a few words to Neymar through the official accounts of the club. "It's inevitably difficult to say goodbye to a legend. I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, nor what he brought to our club and our project over the last six years. We have lived extraordinary moments and Neymar will always be part of our history. I would like to thank him and his family. We wish him all the best for the future and his next adventure."
According to the Daily Mail, Al-Hilal is preparing a big presentation for Neymar with a full stadium, as in Benzema's, which gathered 60,000 people. In addition, work is also being done to appear in a historical place in the city of Riyadh to sell the tourist side of the country.
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