Despite a more than uncertain future with Al-Hilal, Neymar could finally stay in Saudi Arabia, after the club made a considerable effort to keep him.
Since his arrival in the summer of 2023 at Al-Hilal, Neymar has not been in Olympic form. Recruited for 90 million after being pushed out by Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian has not had the expected contribution in the Gulf. However, the Brazilian virtuoso has been a total victim of this situation that has been far from easy for him for a year. Indeed, seriously injured in the knee ligaments and meniscus after a match against Uruguay in October 2023, the former FC Barcelona magician was sidelined for almost a year.
And while the Brazilian has been back for a few weeks, his progress on the pitch has been further disrupted by a new muscle injury that is keeping him away from the pitch. A new problem that has inevitably annoyed the management of Al-Hilal, who have started to ask themselves questions. Indeed, dissatisfied with his almost zero performance since his arrival – Neymar has only played five games with the reigning Saudi champion – the leaders of the Riyadh club have even considered breaking their star’s contract in recent weeks. However, while his contract expires next June, Neymar should indeed finish the season with the men in blue.
Neymar will be qualified to play in the Saudi Pro League
A few days ago, Neymar’s father, often talkative about his offspring, had already explained that his son would come back strong and that a departure was not on the agenda: “We’ll wait and see what happens, and how Neymar really feels. He will be free to decide. We have never been so free to decide where we will go and having a 32-year-old guy free is a gift for any club,” he told Roundcast.
The latter also explained that the Club World Cup at the end of the season was an objective for the Al-Hilal number 10: “All the clubs will be there, and Al-Hilal too, they have earned their place there. They already have one of the biggest stars for this kind of tournament, and a boy who has experience at this level. That is why they have not given up on his contract. […] He is under contract until 2025. We do not know anything more. I see speculation, we are prepared for it. I know that the market is waiting for him and waiting to see how he will recover, but he always comes back stronger. It will not be different this time.”
From then on, while his future seems sealed, Neymar can quietly work on an effective and sustainable return to the field. In this sense, Al-Hilal wants to help its 32-year-old star by making a place for him to play in the championship matches. While he had not qualified for the championship since the start of the season, the former Santos legend should be registered in January to play in the Saudi Pro League matches according to the latest information from Marca.
According to the Iberian publication, Kalidou Koulibaly should pay the price for this reincorporation into Al-Hilal’s sporting project. According to the media, the Senegalese defender’s performances are considered insufficient and the Saudi club could even break his contract, or even loan him until the end of the latter in 2026. In any case, Neymar will therefore see the light at the end of the tunnel while his return to competition is becoming clearer and a return to the sporting forefront is planned for him.
