Foriegn

Neymar completes Al-Hilal from Paris St-Germain

Brazil forward, Neymar has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal from French champions Paris St-Germain.

The deal for the former Bar­celona player, 31, is understood to be worth about 90m euros (£77.6m) plus add-ons.

The striker, who joined PSG for a world-record fee of £200m in 2017, was left out of their squad for Saturday’s Ligue 1 draw against Lorient.

His exit also fits PSG’s strategy of moving away from the ‘Galacticos’ era of signing high-profile players for big fees and significant wages, with Lionel Messi also leaving the club this summer.

The forward was understood to be earning an annual income in the region of 25m euros (£21.6m) at the French club.

He will reportedly be paid 150m euros (£129.2m) a year in Saudi Arabia – six times the amount he earned at PSG – having signed a two-year contract.

The Brazilian made 173 appearances for PSG, helping the club win 13 trophies, including five Ligue 1 titles, as well as reaching the 2020 Champions League final.

Last month, PSG gave Al-Hilal permission to talk to Mbappe after the Saudi side made a world-record £259m bid.

Neymar’s move continues a remarkable summer spending spree by Saudi clubs, underlining the league’s ambition to be one of the top competitions in the world in the next few years. —BBC

Show More
Back to top button