Following in the footsteps of Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazillian attacker, Neymar leaves Paris after six years and moves to the Middle East.
According to him, “I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.
“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.
“Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia. This gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club. I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”
A few weeks before Kylian Mbappe was hired, PSG acquired Neymar from Barcelona in 2017 for a then-record 222 million euros ($242 million).
The 31-year-old was a prolific goal scorer for PSG, scoring 118 goals in 173 games while playing for them. He won three French Cups and five Ligue 1 championships, although his tenure at PSG was marred by a string of injuries.
Neymar not only assisted the team in reaching the 2020 Champions League final, where they fell to Bayern Munich 1-0, but he also missed crucial matches.
Early in March, the Brazilian had a surgery on his right ankle; he didn’t return until PSG’s preseason tour of Asia.
He was no longer a part of the new coach Luis Enrique’s plans, though, and was soon connected to a move to Al-Hilal, where he will reportedly make “100 million euros a season,” according to a person familiar with the talks.
According to the same source, PSG will not even come close to making back the money they spent on Neymar, but they will still keep close to 100 million euros.
“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in a statement from the French champions.
“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”
One of the top clubs in Saudi Arabia historically is Al-Hilal, which has won the Asian Champions League four times.
Along with Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad, they are one of the four clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.
