PSG sells Neymar to Al-Hilal: Reports

author: FutureCar Staff    

Paris Saint-Germain has reached an agreement with Saudi club Al-Hilal to sell Neymar Jr. for a fee of approximately €90 million ($98.5M) plus additional payments, as per multiple reports.

State-owned television company Ekhbariya in Saudi Arabia announced on social media that Al-Hilal has officially secured Brazilian star Neymar in a record-breaking transfer deal from Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar will wear the number 10 jersey for his new team.

According to Sky Sports, the 31-year-old forward is expected to undergo a medical examination on Monday and finalize a two-year contract within the next 24 hours.

When CNN reached out to PSG for comment, a spokesperson stated that the club currently has no information to provide. CNN has also contacted Al-Hilal for further details.

If the transfer goes through, PSG will reportedly receive less than half of the world record fee of €222 million (approximately $243.1M) that they paid for Neymar in 2017.

When Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona, he was seen as the star signing that would usher in a new era of dominance for the club in European competitions.

However, over the past six years, PSG has failed to win the Champions League, and Neymar now seems to be surplus to requirements as the club shifts its focus from signing high-profile superstars to nurturing young talents.

During his time in Paris, Neymar has contributed to PSG's success in winning 13 major trophies, including five league titles and three French Cups.

Nevertheless, PSG's closest attempt at winning Europe's top club competition was a defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.

At one point, PSG boasted a star-studded lineup featuring Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi as they pursued the elusive Champions League title. However, the trio of superstars never quite clicked in crucial European matches.

Messi has since joined Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, while Mbappé's future in Paris remains uncertain with just one year left on his contract.

Neymar is now set to join a growing list of renowned players making their way to the Saudi Pro League.

In December, Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr for a reported sum exceeding 200 million euros ($220.16 million) after leaving Manchester United.

Since then, players like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Marcelo Brozović have also made high-profile moves to the Saudi Pro League.

FutureCar Staff