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Neymar completes move from PSG to Al Hilal

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  • Post published:August 16, 2023

Neymar has completed his £86.3m move from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal, with the Brazil forward set to earn £129.4m a year.

The 31-year-old forward from Brazil leaves Paris after living there for six years. He joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane in going from Europe to the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

“Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia. This gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club. I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”

Neymar moved to PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros ($242 million), just a few weeks before they signed Kylian Mbappe.

The Brazilian scored 118 goals in 173 games for PSG and helped them win five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups. However, he was hurt a lot during his time at PSG.

Even though he helped the team get to the final of the 2020 Champions League, which they lost to Bayern Munich 1-0, he missed important games.

Neymar had surgery on his right ankle in early March, and he didn’t get back in time to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia until he was fully healed.

But he was no longer in new coach Luis Enrique’s plans, and he was immediately linked with a move to Al-Hilal, where he will make “100 million euros a season,” according to a source close to the talks.

According to the same source, PSG will not even come close to getting back what they paid for Neymar, but they will still get close to 100 million euros.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in a statement from the French champions.

“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”

Al-Hilal has always been one of the best clubs in Saudi Arabia, and they have won the Asian Champions League four times.

They are also one of the four clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad.