"Palmeiras is not a medical department" - Club president mocks Neymar and explains why they won't sign Al Hilal star

Palmeiras president Leila Pereira has explained why they will not try to sign Brazilian superstar Neymar. The Al Hilal forward has struggled with injuries since moving to Saudi Arabia and is now being linked with a return to Brazil.

Brazilian journalist Cesar Luis Merlo (via One Football) has claimed that the former Barcelona attacker is closing in on a return to his home country. Neymar is said to be joining Santos, with his Al Hilal contract to be terminated.

The Palmeiras president was recently quizzed if she would like to sign the former Santos star for her club. In reply, Pereira mocked the player's injury history, but not before praising his footballing abilities.

Speaking to UOL, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira said (vis GOAL):

"Great player, but he's going to Santos. I don't know, you have to ask Santos, but not here, he wouldn't come. I want to invest in someone who can come in immediately, who can start tomorrow if the coach decides. Palmeiras is not a medical department. I do not accept that a player signed by Palmeiras is not ready to play immediately."

Neymar is a Santos academy product and rose through the ranks at the Brazilian club and played for their senior squad for four years before joining Barcelona in 2013. He scored 136 goals for Santos and also provided 64 assists in 225 appearances across competitions.

Neymar has struggled with injuries at Al Hilal

Neymar joined Al Hilal in a €90 million move from Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023 summer transfer window. He joined a growing list of superstars to move to the Saudi Pro League, but he couldn't leave his imprint due to multiple injuries.

The Brazilian suffered a cruciate ligament tear just two months into his Al-Hilal stint. He stayed away from on-field action for over a year, missing 53 games for the club in the process.

Less than a month after gaining fitness in October 2024, he picked up a hamstring injury, which has seen him miss seven games for Al Hilal since. As a result, the Saudi club are reportedly willing to mutually terminate his contract.

Overall, the Brazil icon has played just seven games for the Saudi club, scoring one and assisting three goals.