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 Persian country’s league, which continues to recruit big names this summer based on checkbooks. After rumors of a possible return to Barcelona, financially unfeasible, Al-Hilal has taken the cat into the water by presenting the best financial offer: around 80 million euros plus goals for PSG and a two-season contract at the rate of 200 million for the player.
Last week, Neymar formally communicated to PSG his wish to leave the team this summer. The attacker still had four years left on his contract with the Parisian team, but he was “deeply traumatized” by the concentration of fans outside his home at the beginning of May to show his discontent and ask him to leave Paris, according to Indian The team.
In the Saudi league, he will face players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Mahrez, Benzema, Kanté or Mané, who have arrived in the competition in recent months. At Al-Hilal he will share a dressing room with ex-Barcelona player Malcom, with Ruben Neves, with Koulibaly and with Milinkovic-Savic.
The Brazilian arrived in Paris in 2017 for a historic transfer of 222 million euros (which is still the most expensive in football history). His performance has been well below expectations, without getting the long-awaited Champions League and with many extra-sports 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 club’s official accounts. “It is 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 past six years. We have experienced extraordinary moments and Neymar will always be part of our history. I would like to thank him and his family. We wish him the best for the future and his next adventure,” he snapped.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Al-Hilal is preparing a big presentation for Neymar with a full stadium, like the one for Benzema, which brought together 60,000 people. In addition, they are also working to appear in a historical place in the city of Riyadh to sell the tourist side of the country.
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