Punching his tickets for Saudi Arabia, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar has reportedly signed a lucrative deal with Al Hilal. The former UEFA Champions League winner was in talks with FC Barcelona for a blockbuster return to El Camp Nou ahead of the new season. Owned by Qatar Sports Investments, PSG are yet to confirm the departure of superstar Neymar from the Parc des Princes.
Joining the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Neymar is the latest high-profile inductee to the cash-rich league Saudi Pro League. As per the latest developments, Neymar is leaving European football after Al Hilal agreed to a reported 90 million euros ($98 million) transfer fee with the Ligue 1 giants. Neymar had joined PSG for a record 220 million euros ($241m) transfer deal from Barcelona back in 2017.
How much Neymar will earn at Al Hilal?
Neymar, who guided PSG to the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2020, underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March. The former Barca star returned to Paris only for a pre-season tour of Asia before Al-Hilal roped him to the Gulf kingdom. One of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs, Al-Hilal have acquired the services of Neymar for two seasons. The Brazil star is expected to earn £138 million a year at Al Hilal.
While PSG have decided to offload Neymar for a €90 million deal, the Paris-based club already has a like-for-like replacement for the Brazil superstar. PSG recently signed Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona before allowing Neymar to leave the French capital. It will be interesting to see which next-generation superstar is tasked to step into the shoes of Neymar at PSG for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season.
Who will replace Neymar at PSG?
Interestingly, Dembele is not the only leading candidate to replace Neymar at PSG. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, PSG have Federico Chiesa on their radar as the Ligue 1 are interested in cutting a value-for-money deal with Serie A giants – Juventus. Italy’s most successful club, Serie A heavyweights Juventus have failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Thus, Chiesa can join forces with Kylian Mbappe at PSG to feature in the Champions League. Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri had used Chiesa out of his preferred position. The Italian star still has two years left on his Juve contract. According to a report, PSG can rope in Chiesa with a bid of around €50 million (£43m/$55m).
