Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal has completed the signing of Brazilian talisman Neymar Jr. from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal, the club announced on Tuesday.
Neymar joins the Riyadh-based club in a lucrative deal worth about €90 million, and he signs a contract valid until 2025 that will see him earn a reported €150 million a year, an amount that is six times what he earned at PSG.
The 31-year-old departs the French champion after being told he was not part of coach Luis Enrique’s plans for the new campaign.
A new history is about to fulfill ????@neymarjr #Neymar_Hilali
pic.twitter.com/3VhTX59aDq— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) August 15, 2023
Neymar joined PSG for a world-record fee of €222 million from Barcelona in 2017. Although his time in the French capital was plagued by injuries, he scored 118 goals and provided 77 assists in 173 matches in all competitions.
The Brazil forward, who was left out of PSG’s season opener in Ligue 1 against Lorient last weekend, won 13 titles for the Parisiens, including five league titles, three Coupe de France, and two Coupe de la Ligue.
He also led them to the final of the UEFA Champions League in the 2019–20 campaign, where they were eventually beaten by Bayern Munich.
Neymar’s last season at PSG under Mauricio Pochettino ended with him scoring 18 goals and providing 17 assists in 29 games, and despite many criticisms from the PSG fans for his constant injuries, the Brazilian performed beautifully whenever he was called upon.
He made his debut for the Brazil national team in 2010 and has since represented them at the Olympic Games, the Confederation, three World Cup tournaments, and the Copa America.
Neymar has scored 77 goals in 124 appearances for the Samba Boys, making him the nation’s joint top scorer along with the legendary Pele. He will join fellow Brazilian Malcom in the team, alongside other big-name signings from Europe like Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
