It appears Brazilian superstar Neymar Junior is heading back to where it all began for him. The legendary forward is drawing closer to completing a move back to Santos FC in Brazil in what would be an emotional return to his boyhood team from which he first announced himself to the world.
The 32-year-old has suffered an injury-ravaged spell in Saudi Arabia and made just seven appearances since joining Al Hilal SFC in August 2023.
Agreement Imminent for Neymar to Return to His Boyhood Club
Fabrizio Romano reported that Neymar and Santos have reached a verbal agreement and that the player has said yes to the move. He also reported that Al Hilal and the Brazilian club will be in direct talks to hash out the formal steps for the deal with the winger planning on flying back to Brazil in the coming days,
The former Barcelona star has also reportedly agreed to take a massive pay cut so he could rejoin his childhood club.
Breakthrough at Santos
Neymar joined Santos in 2003 and rose through the ranks of the youth academy, eventually making his debut for the club on the 17th of March 2009. It was at Santos that the world first took note of Neymar.
The Brazilian caught the eye with his football arsenal of breathtaking pace, devastating skills, and ruthless finishing. The gifted forward dazzled on the field regularly, leaving Santos fans awestruck with his footballing ability for four years.
He backed it up with output, scoring 136 goals in 225 appearances for the club, one of which was an incredible solo goal that won him the Puskas Award in 2012. He also won six trophies with the club, including the 2011 Copa Libertadores.
The stellar performances Neymar delivered didn’t go unnoticed and he finished 10th in the 2011 Balon D’or rankings while playing at Santos, putting the world on notice about how extravagantly talented he was.
Leaving Santos to Achieve Overwhelming Success at Barcelona
Neymar signed for La Liga giants Barcelona FC in 2013. At the Catalan club, he won numerous trophies, including a treble in 2015.
He finished 3rd in the Balon D’or rankings in 2015 and 2017. He also formed a legendary trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, famously ‘MSN’.
In all, Neymar finished his Barcelona career with 105 goals in 186 appearances. Afterwards, he departed in 2017 to join Paris Saint-Germain in France for a record-breaking £198 million.
A Slightly Disappointing Period in Paris
At PSG, Neymar never quite achieved what was expected of him. The French side had ambitions of winning the Champions League and the deal for the Barcelona icon was seen as a positive step in that direction.
He was also expected to become the best player in the world there. Many thought that leaving Lionel Messi’s shadow would help him become the premier footballer in the world.
He achieved neither of those feats, which is why his stay in Paris is regarded by some as disappointing. However, Neymar still won 14 trophies with the Parisiens.
In total, he managed 118 goals in 173 matches despite his six years in France being plagued by injuries.
After an impressive career that has also seen him being one of the most talented players to ever put on a Brazil shirt, Neymar is about to go full circle and potentially end his playing days at the team that originally made him a star.