Al-Hilal and Brazil attacker Neymar is reportedly on the brink of returning to boyhood club Santos, and the deal is expected to be finalised this week.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star ended his six-year spell in the French capital in 2023 to sign for the Saudi Pro League giants, who paid £75.8m for his services.
However, Neymar has only made a mere seven appearances for Al-Hilal due to a plethora of injury issues, including a devastating ACL problem and recent hamstring concern.
The 32-year-old has featured on just two occasions off the bench in the current season, and his contract - from which he earns a mammoth £1.62m a week - expires in June, albeit with the option of a further year.
Neymar now seems set to end his Saudi nightmare, though, as Fabrizio Romano reports that the attacker is on the verge of rejoining Santos, who have now struck a verbal agreement with Al-Hilal.
Neymar to seal Santos return this week?
🚨🇧🇷 BREAKING: Neymar's return to Santos now imminent as verbal agreement has been reached.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2025
Formal steps to follow next week for final formula of the deal from Al Hilal and contracts to be checked.
Neymar already said yes to the move...
...here we go, soon. 🔙🏡 pic.twitter.com/5IQIrLXxpj
Romano claims that the South American's return to his homeland is therefore 'imminent', and he has also given the thumbs-up to the transfer after the two clubs reached an accord.
Al-Hilal and Santos are now expected to thrash out the final details of the agreement this week, where the 'last formula' of the move will be checked and agreed upon before Neymar's official unveiling.
The ex-Barcelona star is set to leave Al-Hilal with just one goal and three assists on his record, and his Santos homecoming will see him return to his boyhood team 11-and-a-half years after his departure for Camp Nou.
Neymar registered 136 goals and 64 assists in 225 matches for Santos during his first spell at the club, before establishing himself as one of the finest attackers of his generation during his spell in Europe.
The 32-year-old won one Champions League title with Barcelona and a plethora of domestic honours with PSG, but he has not represented the Brazil national team since October 2023.
Could Neymar move impact Mohamed Salah future?
© Imago
Neymar's inevitable Al-Hilal exit will free up a gargantuan chunk of space on the Saudi team's wage bill, one that they will be expected to fill with another superstar signing either this month or in the summer.
Recent reports have claimed that Liverpool's Mohamed Salah could be that superstar, as the Egypt international is yet to extend his Reds contract beyond the end of the 2024-25 campaign and is therefore free to talk to foreign clubs.
Al-Hilal are not the only Saudi side to have courted Salah, who was allegedly the subject of a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad just before the 2023 summer window closed, but Liverpool rejected their advances.
However, with Neymar on the move and no progress being made in efforts to tie Salah to an extension, it will be fascinating to see whether Al-Hilal try their luck with a sizeable offer between now and deadline day on February 3.
While Salah's contract situation remains an unwelcome distraction, the 32-year-old continues to perform at the highest level and scored a landmark goal in Saturday's 4-1 Premier League win over Ipswich Town.
Ben Knapton
