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Brazilian forward Neymar has officially completed his move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain, as confirmed by both clubs on Tuesday, August 15. This move places him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as another prominent figure enticed by the affluent Gulf nation.
In a video shared across Al Hilal’s social media platforms, the 31-year-old Neymar enthusiastically declared, “I am here in Saudi Arabia, I am Hilali,” solidifying his new association with the club.
“Inevitably, bidding farewell to an extraordinary player like Neymar is never easy; he stands as one of the finest players globally,” expressed PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi in an official statement released by the French champions.
“The day Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain remains etched in memory, as well as his invaluable contributions to our club and its vision throughout the past six years. Our journey together has been remarkable, and Neymar’s legacy will forever hold a significant place within our history,” he further elaborated.
Neymar’s association with PSG commenced in 2017 when he transferred from Barcelona for a then-world-record fee of 222 million euros ($242 million), coinciding with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe just a few weeks later.
During his tenure at PSG, Neymar showcased his prolific scoring prowess, netting an impressive 118 goals across 173 matches. His time with the club was marked by triumphs, including clinching five Ligue 1 titles and securing three French Cups. Yet, his journey at PSG was plagued by a series of injuries that posed challenges.
Notably, Neymar played a pivotal role in guiding the club to the 2020 Champions League final, a match that ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, his contribution to the team was hampered by periods of absence due to injuries during critical encounters.
Following surgery on his right ankle in early March, Neymar’s return to the squad was marked by his participation in PSG’s pre-season tour of Asia. However, with the introduction of new coach Luis Enrique, Neymar found himself excluded from the tactical plans. This circumstance immediately sparked speculation regarding a transfer to Al-Hilal.
According to a reliable source, Neymar is set to earn an impressive “100 million euros a season” with his move to Al-Hilal, positioning him as one of the high-earning players in the footballing world.
PSG will not come close to recouping the fee they paid for Neymar but will still pocket close to 100 million euros as well, according to the same source.
Al-Hilal has traditionally been one of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs and has been crowned Asian Champions League winners on four occasions.
They are coached by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second spell at the club, while the squad currently boasts four international players recently lured from Europe − Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Neymar’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom.
Neymar’s exit from PSG comes on the heels of Lionel Messi’s departure, with Messi now donning the jersey of Inter Miami in the United States.
