Leila Pereira has made it clear that the forward will not be playing for Palmeiras in 2025.
In an interview with UOL Esporte, the Palmeiras president stated that they will not be signing the Al-Hilal striker, emphasizing that Neymar is not part of the club's plans moving forward. Leila shared her insights during a discussion with journalist Alicia Klein, where she outlined her conditions for player acquisitions, making it clear that the Brazilian star does not meet those criteria at this time. In fact, she believes that Santos could be Neymar's next destination.
"We have some premises here. Since I took over as president of Palmeiras, I convened the medical department and the football director to clearly state what I didn't want. I will not accept a player contracted by Palmeiras who is not fit to play immediately," stated Leila.
When asked by Alicia, "If Neymar wants to join tomorrow, won't he?", she firmly responded, "No, he won't. He is a great player, but he will go to Santos. There is absolutely no problem with that."
Alicia pressed further, asking, "Are you convinced he will go to Santos?" To which Leila replied, "I don’t know. You have to ask Santos. But not here. I want to invest in a player to ensure they are fit to play immediately," she reaffirmed.
In August 2023, Neymar signed a two-season contract with Al Hilal, as reported by French media when he left PSG. His monthly salary is €13.3 million, approximately R$100 million. If he remains with the Arab club until June, the Brazilian forward will have earned more than R$800 million.
Neymar is set to be ready to return to the football pitch at the start of January. Until then, the Brazilian player will continue recovering while his name strengthens in the football market.
