Neymar picks next club after Al-Hilal contract is terminated by mutual consent - Reports

Brazil international Neymar has decided on a return to boyhood club Santos after reaching a mutual agreement with Al-Hilal to terminate his contract, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The forward will travel to Brazil to undergo a medical with the club ahead of signing his contract and returning for the first time since 2013.

Neymar joined Al-Hilal from PSG in 2023, with the Saudi giants paying €90 million for the services of the 32-year-old. He was also placed on a reported salary of around €150 million a year, as he joined the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the Saudi top-flight. His time with Al-Hilal proved to be unproductive, as he managed just seven appearances for the club in about 18 months in Saudi due to injuries.

Al-Hilal decided to terminate his contract amid rumors of interest from boyhood club Santos, having already decided against registering him for the second half of the season. The forward last appeared for the club in November before picking up a hamstring problem that has kept him sidelined until now.

Fabrizio Romano reports that an agreement has been finalized between the forward and Santos for his return to the club this month. He will travel to undergo a medical with the Brazilian outfit where he began his professional career.

Neymar made 225 appearances for Santos, scoring 136 goals and making a name for himself as one of the world's most promising youngsters. He moved to Barcelona in 2013, and moved to PSG four seasons later for a world record fee of around £200 million.

The forward has scored 79 goals for the Brazil national team, making him his country's record goalscorer. He suffered a knee injury while on international duty against Uruguay in October 2023, which ultimately cost him his Al-Hilal career. In moving back to Santos, he joins the likes of Thiago Silva and Marcelo in returning to play in Brazil.

Neymar: One of the all-time Santos greats

Neymar made his professional bow for Santos in 2009 aged just 17 years old, and needed just one week to score his first professional goal. The 32-year-old went on to score 14 goals in 48 appearances in his debut season for the club. In 2010 aged just 18, he scored 42 goals in 60 games for the club, earning his first senior Brazil invitations.

In 2011, Neymar led Santos to a first Copa Libertadores title since 1963, when Pele was still on the club's books. He was named Man of the Match in the final against Uruguayan outfit Penarol, scoring six goals in the competition. He won the 2011 Puskas award for a solo goal against Flamengo in the Brasileirao Serie A.

Santos resisted attempts from West Ham United and Chelsea to sell Neymar as a teenager, and Real Madrid once he crossed his teenage years. They did, however, sell him to Barcelona in 2013 for an official fee of around €57 million.