Brazilian football star Neymar officially joins Saudi club Al-Hilal
16 Aug 2023 12:08pm
Brazil forward Neymar has signed for Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain, the clubs announced today, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state - AFP
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Neymar said he made the right choice by joining Al-Hilal.
"I want to write a history, and the Saudi Professional League has tremendous energy and quality players and is in great growth at the moment, so I believe it is the desired place," the Saudi club quoted Neymar as saying in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Neymar said that "Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia," adding that "this gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right club, I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal."
Neymar has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract worth 160 million euros (US$175 million), with Al-Hilal additionally paying 90 million euros to PSG for the transfer, excluding bonuses.
On Thursday, media reported that PSG did not count on the 31-year-old Brazilian and agreed on his transfer with Al-Hilal. Neymar's compatriot Malcom, a former Zenit St. Petersburg player, is one of Al-Hilal's current players.
In 2017, Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros. The forward's contract runs until the summer of 2025. As part of the Paris club, he became a five-time champion of France and a three-time winner of the country's Cup and Super Cup - BERNAMA
