Santos is preparing to announce the signing of Neymar in the coming days, after the player managed to terminate his contract with Al-Hilal, from Saudi Arabia, thanks to two main factors: the entry of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) into the conversation and the player having agreed to give up part of the amount he still has to receive from his now former club.
To free himself from the ties with the Arabs, and consequently move towards a return to Peixe, Neymar agreed to stop receiving around 10 million dollars (R$59.2 million), an amount that corresponds to 15% of the 65 million dollars (R$385.2 million) that he would still have to receive until the end of the contract.
The meeting that unlocked the negotiation took place this Monday, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and had an even more decisive factor: the Saudi Pro League (SPL) taking the lead in the decisions, after a week of intense talks.
The Saudi club's inert stance in initial talks led Neymar to ease up on his request. The Saudi League, on the other hand, stepped in decisively with the promise of a new star for the club in the mid-year transfer window.
Mohamed Salah, a Liverpool striker in the final stretch of his contract in England, could be a reinforcement for the FIFA Club World Cup. He is the Arabs' big dream.
Next steps
Santos is now moving towards signing the contract and completing minor bureaucratic procedures to make Neymar official. With the star's decision to return home, everything has become merely formal, as the outcome was well underway before the termination.
With a short contract at Vila, Neymar will have the freedom to define his future, which could even include staying at Santos until the 2026 World Cup. Peixe, however, is aware of the idol's desire to return to European football in the European summer window, in the middle of the year, when his contract with the black and white club is due to end.
Neymar arrived at Al Hilal in August 2023, but only played seven times (four as a starter) scoring one goal and providing two assists. On February 5th, the star player will turn 33, most likely in his new home.
