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Amid rumors surrounding Kylian Mbappé’s future in the French capital, another Paris Saint-Germain star is likely to be on the move this summer.
Neymar “is close to agreeing to personal terms with Al Hilal and completing a move to the Saudi Pro League,” according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens. Paris Saint-Germain want $88 million for the Brazilian forward, and negotiations with Al Hilal “are progressing well,” Laurens added.
Neymar would sign with Al Hilal on a two-year deal worth $109.6 million per year, according to Laurens.
The 31-year-old, who did not participate in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener on Saturday against FC Lorient, has been linked to a move out of France over the last several weeks.
ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Jordi Blanco reported on Aug. 7 that Neymar was interested in rejoining Barcelona, where he played from 2013-17, this summer. However, coach Xavi Hernandez is reportedly against the move and given the La Liga side’s financial problems, Neymar returning is unlikely.
Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 and he has helped the club capture five Ligue 1 titles. He also led the club into the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final, where it fell to Bayern Munich.
A move to Al Hilal would see Neymar join a number of soccer’s biggest stars in heading to Saudi Arabia, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mané and N’Golo Kanté, among others.
Al Hilal boasts a roster that includes Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The club is coming off a 2-1 loss to Ronaldo and Al Nassr in the Arab Club Champions Cup Final on Saturday.
PSG’s roster has underwent a significant shakeup this summer with the departure of Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami. To try and make up for the loss, the club has brought in Ousmane Dembélé from Barcelona and Gonçalo Ramos from Benfica, among others.
Additionally, Mbappé’s absence contributed to a 0-0 draw with FC Lorient in Saturday’s opener. While Mbappé returned to training with the first team on Sunday, his departure still seems likely in the near future.
