Author: Amrit Santlani
Neymar has officially joined Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League team confirmed on its Twitter account on Tuesday, August 15. The Brazilian star signed a two-year contract with Al Hilal, ending his six-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain, who reportedly received a fee of 90 million euros plus add-ons for the 31-year-old, who has also been linked with a reunion with his former teammate and best friend Lionel Messi in the MLS.
Neymar joined the Parisians in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros, but failed to bring the Champions League title to the Parc des Princes, winning all the other multiple prizes.
With the Brazilian striker in his prime, the French club reached the UCL final in 2020, but were beaten by Bayern Munich in the summit clash. Since new coach Luis Enrique arrived at PSG, he has decided to exclude Neymar from his plans and the player has been considered expendable.
“I’ve achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special moments, but I’ve always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places“, said Neymar after joining Al Hilal. “I want to write a new sporting story, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment” he added.
The former Barcelona striker becomes the latest big-name arrival in the Middle East, following in the footsteps of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho and N’Golo Kante, among others.
It was reported that Neymar was earning 25 million euros a season at PSG, while his salary will rocket to £129.2 million a year, almost six times what he previously earned in France.
Neymar played 173 games for PSG, scoring 118 goals and providing 77 assists in six seasons, as well as winning 13 trophies. After beating Abha 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal return to action on Saturday, August 19, when they host Al Feiha, and Neymar could be in line to make his debut this weekend.