Transfers

Rejected Neymar Set For Brazilian League After Disappointing Years in Saudi League

Brazil superstar Neymar is closing in on a return to his former club Santos, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Neymar remains on the roster of Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, but the team’s manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that the Brazilian attacker can “no longer play at the level we are used to,” and wasn’t registered to play in the Saudi Pro League, leaving Neymar eligible to play only in the Asian Champions League.

As a result, Neymar has been looking for his next playing opportunity, and appears to have found it with the club with which he began his professional career.

Sources tell ESPN that Neymar’s contract with Al Hilal likely will be terminated, but the final details are still being negotiated. The two sides are expected to meet early this week with the hope of reaching an agreement. If that occurs, Neymar is set to sign a six-month contract, which will have an option to be extended an additional year, with Santos.

If the deal with Santos is completed, Neymar is set to travel to Brazil this week, and could play for Santos as soon as Feb. 5.

By terminating his Al Hilal contract, which ran through this summer, Neymar would walk away from about $65 million.

Sources told ESPN he could make up at least some of the shortfall by having himself and his father, Neymar Santos Sr., become part of an investment fund that includes shares in Santos.

However, ESPN Brazil is reporting that Neymar is still determined to recoup the money from Al Hilal and that any deal involving shares in Santos would be extremely difficult to execute in the short term.

Brazil star Neymar is hoping to have his contract with Saudi side Al Hilal terminated this week. Francois Nel/Getty Images
So, though the framework for a return to Santos is in place in principle, there are still sticking points.

If his return to Santos is completed, it will conclude a transfer saga that included the possibility of Neymar heading to MLS side Chicago Fire FC. However, Neymar’s preference was to return to Brazil to regain his form and possibly reclaim his place with the national team.

Neymar, 32, endured a difficult spell with Al Hilal after joining the Saudi Arabian club from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million.

The former Barcelona star suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after joining Al Hilal. He returned to the field last October, but a hamstring injury kept him from making more of a contribution. He made just seven league and cup appearances with just one goal scored in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran on Oct. 3, 2023.

Despite his struggles in Saudi Arabia, Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez while with Barcelona from 2013 to 2017. In that time, he was part of sides that won a UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Reys.

He later moved to PSG in 2017 and won five Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de Frances and two Coupe de la Ligues.

Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011, when he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.

At the international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring a Selecao record 79 goals. He was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted.

Transfers

Arsenal prospect Heaven close to Man Utd move

Manchester United are close to finalizing a deal for Arsenal’s promising 18-year-old central defender, Ayden Heaven.

United secured striker Chido Obi-Martin from the Gunners in October, and the 17-year-old has already impressed in the club’s FA Youth Cup campaign. Now, the Red Devils are expected to conclude negotiations with Heaven, who made his senior debut as a substitute in an EFL Cup win against Preston.

While Arsenal are reluctant to lose Heaven, the London-born player understands that his chances of regular first-team action are limited, as Mikel Arteta has a solid lineup of senior defenders.

In contrast, Manchester United are focusing on improving their recruitment, which has been lacking in recent years. In addition to Obi-Martin, the club has also secured a deal for Paraguay Under-20 international Diego Leon.

It remains unclear whether Heaven will immediately join United’s first-team squad or start in the Premier League 2 setup.

Transfers

‘Done Deal’ – Man Utd ‘Reach Agreement’ For January Signing As £29m Offer ‘Accepted’

Manchester United are reported to be on the verge of completing the blockbuster signing of highly-rated Danish defender Patrick Dorgu from Serie A side Lecce.

Local reports from SoloLecce claim that the Red Devils have had an offer of £29m plus a further £4m in performance related-add-ons accepted for the 20-year-old left-back in a deal which is being reported as ‘done’ with an agreement now in place. For the transfer to be completed, the player will need to undergo a medical after it was reported that personal terms have already been agreed.

Dorgu, who has scored three times and registered one assist in 21 matches, is expected to become the second signing of the Ruben Amorim era after the signing of 17-year-old Paraguayan defender Diego Leon from Primera División title hopefuls Cerro Porteno.

However, unlike Leon, who does not link up with his new teammates until the summer, Dorgu is expected to ‘immediately’ complete a move to Old Trafford and compete for a starting position in Amorim’s favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.

United boss Ruben Amorim has quickly implemented a new style of football with a heavy emphasis on attacking and energetic wing-backs that are able to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

At Sporting, for example, his team often used Geovany Quenda and Maximilliano Araujo to great effect, as well as academy graduate Nuno Mendes before his move to Paris Saint-Germain. The Red Devils currently have Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazaroui as natural right-backs in the team, but are lacking quality in the left-back area with long-term absentees Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both struggling for fitness.

Amorim has made the move for Patrick Dorgu to provide balance to his team and to offer his side a further threat from wide areas to provide support to Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have both struggled for goals and opportunities in the box this season.

Dorgu has scored three times in 21 matches this season – the joint second most of any full-back in Serie A while his 53 touches inside the box are the highest of any defender in the whole division despite playing for a team that is fighting to survive in the division.

Transfers

Neymar’s Contract Terminated By Saudi Arabian Club

Brazilian club Santos are in talks to re-sign Neymar after his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal was cancelled by mutual consent.

The 32-year-old Brazil international is expected to sign a short-term deal at the club where he began his career.

The termination of his contract at Al-Hilal was considered the biggest step, according to sources close to Neymar.

It ends an injury-hit spell in Saudi Arabia, where he played just seven times for the club he joined in a £77.6m deal in August 2023.

The attacker made two appearances this season, most recently a substitute in November.

Al Hilal said: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”

Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire also attempted to bring Neymar to the United States but he turned them down in favour of returning to Santos.

Fire had Neymar on their ‘discovery list’, meaning they were the only MLS team able to negotiate with him in the US.

Inter Miami had also been linked with reuniting Neymar with his former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Neymar remains the world’s most expensive footballer after his £200m move to Paris St-Germain in 2017.

Neymar had around seven months remaining on his contract, having joined Al-Hilal on a two-year deal with a reported wage of 150m euros (£129.2m) a year.

He joined claiming he wanted to “write new sporting history” but had a prolonged spell on the sidelines after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023.

He returned in October last year and although he played down an apparent hamstring issue in his second match back, he has not featured since.

Neymar came through the famed youth system at Santos, where he scored 136 goals in 225 games, before a high-profile move to Barcelona in 2013.

He made 186 appearances across four seasons in Spain, winning two La Liga titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup before his world-record move to PSG as a 25-year-old.

In Paris he won five league titles prior to his move to Saudi Arabia.

Shortly after the move he overtook Pele to become Brazil’s all-time leading male goalscorer with 78 goals, but has not played for his country since his initial knee injury in 2023.