Brazilian star Neymar Junior looks set to leave Paris Saint-Germain, and it looks like Saudi Arabia is not only his destination, but also his only option.
Neymar has reportedly given the green light to join Al Hilal on a two-year contract, which will earn him a salary of around €200m and a transfer fee of €90m for PSG.
Last week FC Barcelona were heavily linked with Neymar but over the weekend that option seemed to slip away due to his finances. The Independent claims FC Barcelona were very interested in a deal but would have needed to part ways with at least four players to free up space in their wage bill.
Neymar absolutely wanted to stay in Europe and was offered the services of other top European clubs to see if it was possible to do so. Real Madrid were reportedly one of five clubs, including Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, who decided not to pursue the 31-year-old. Along with his high salary and injuries, those teams no longer saw him as a game changer at the top level.
Neymar certainly has his detractors, and his inability to realize his potential is largely attributable to him, but the idea that he is leaving Europe without ever having reached the heights of which he was capable no doubt arouses a certain melancholy. When he’s fit, he’s undoubtedly one of the most exciting players on the planet.
