Neymar leaves PSG to join Al-Hilal in reported €90M transfer

Neymar’s career in Europe is over.

Brazil’s joint-top scorer left Paris Saint-Germain after six years to complete a big-money move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal on Tuesday.

PSG will receive a transfer fee worth €90 million, reports Julien Laurens of ESPN.

The 31-year-old signed a two-year contract with Al-Hilal worth a reported €100 million per season. The agreement includes an option for a third year.

He’ll play alongside Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who all joined Al-Hilal this summer.

Al-Hilal had initially wanted to sign Neymar’s PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe. But the club switched its focus to the Brazilian when Mbappe refused to meet with Al-Hilal officials after PSG accepted a world-record €300-million bid.

PSG made Neymar the most expensive footballer in 2017 when they signed him from Barcelona for €222 million.

PSG signed him in an effort to boost the club’s profile and help them capture the Champions League trophy for the first time in club history.

But injuries, off-field issues, and poor results on the pitch mean PSG will part with Neymar without winning the coveted trophy. PSG finished as runner-up in 2020.

However, Neymar was a member of five Ligue 1-winning teams during his time in the French capital. He scored 118 goals and registered 77 assists in 173 games for PSG.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”