Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have agreed a €90 million ($98.6 million) deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar, sources have told ESPN.
ESPN reported on Sunday that Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar is close to agreeing personal terms with Al Hilal as the two clubs work out a deal.
He will now join Al Hilal on a two-year contract with an option for a further year.
Neymar will join new team-mates Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves and Sergej Milinković-Savić, who moved to Al Hilal earlier this summer.
Al Hilal is one of four clubs, along with Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad, that were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in June called the “Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project.”
Saudi Pro League clubs have pursued an aggressive recruitment strategy in this transfer window, offering lucrative deals to some of the sport’s biggest stars.
PSG made Neymar the most expensive footballer of all time in 2017 when they signed him from Barcelona in a deal worth 222 million euros.
Neymar’s move from PSG ends six tumultuous years in the French capital, during which he has often struggled with injuries and problems off the pitch.
Neymar has won five Ligue 1 titles and a total of 13 domestic titles with PSG, as well as finishing as runners-up in the 2020 Champions League final.
The Brazil international was left out of PSG’s squad for their first Ligue 1 season opener on Saturday, the goalless draw against Lorient, amid news of a move away from the club.
A return to Barcelona has been discussed, with Barca captain Sergi Roberto even claiming he discussed the matter with Neymar.
The chances of Neymar returning to Camp Nou are slim due to the club’s financial problems and Xavi’s opposition to his return.
Sources have told ESPN that PSG, who signed striker Ousmane Dembele from Barca on Saturday, want Neymar to leave.
Throughout his professional career, Neymar has only played for three clubs, namely Santos, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar is known as an ‘expensive’ player in every move he makes. Barcelona in 2013 redeemed him for 88 million Euros from Santos.
Then in 2017, Neymar was bought by PSG for 222 million Euros. And the price when brought to Al Hilal was still expensive, namely 90million Euros.
On 21 August, he scored his first competitive goal for Barcelona in the first leg of the 2013 Supercopa de España against Atletico Madrid.
On 26 October 2013, Neymar scored the opener in his first El Clásico appearance as Barça players beat Real Madrid 2–1 at Camp Nou. Later in the match, he assisted the team’s winning goal scored by Alexis Sánchez.
On 11 December 2013 Neymar recorded his first Champions League goal and he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Celtic in Group H.
On August 3, 2017, Neymar officially moved to Paris Saint-Germain after paying a buy-out clause of € 222 million which made him the most expensive player in the world, overtaking Paul Pogba who in 2016 broke the record after being bought for € 105,000. 000.
Neymar’s main playing position is usually as a forward, winger or occasionally as an attacking midfielder. Neymar has also frequently played as a striker for both club and country in a 4-3-3 team formation and drifted occasionally to a wing position due to his energetic pace and skill as a playmaker. His dribbling skills, technical and playmaking ability, reminds of Ronaldinho.
