Neymar Close to Returning to His Boyhood Club Santos

Neymar with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018
Neymar with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018. Photo by James Marsh/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (9381811ci)

Despite all the reports linking him to MLS, it appears that Brazil’s star striker Neymar won’t be coming to the United States. Instead, Neymar is reportedly close to returning to his boyhood club Santos.

Neymar is currently under contract with Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal but the two sides are negotiating an early termination. Neymar joined Al Hilal in a $98 million transfer in the summer of 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain but only played seven games for the club due to various injuries.

If Neymar and Al Hilal reach contract termination, the Brazilian would give up around $65 million in wages. He is expected to sign a six-month contract with Santos that would contain an option to extend it for one more year.

Neymar recently had exploratory talks with at least three MLS clubs including Chicago Fire as he looks to bounce back after a challenging period and regain his place in Brazil’s national team. However, his priority has always been returning to his home country and those talks didn’t progress further after Santos expressed interest in reunion.

Neymar joined Santos’ youth team in 2003 and made his professional debut in 2009 as a 17-year-old. He spent five seasons with the club, scoring 136 goals in 225 games while helping Santos win Copa Libertadores, Copa do Brasil, and three Campeonato Paulista titles. He left the club in 2013 to join La Liga powerhouse Barcelona in a $55.3 million transfer.

With Barcelona, Neymar won two La Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy before departing to PSG in 2017 for a world-record $263 million. During his time in France, he won five Ligue 1 titles.

Neymar is also Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, having 79 goals in 128 international matches.