In the very near future, Neymar Junior will be leaving Al Hilal on loan, although it will effectively be a permanent departure as his contract with the reigning Saudi Pro League champions runs out at the end of the season. If rumours are to be believed, he will be heading to one of his former stomping grounds.
Neymar has had a tough time since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023. He became the big name, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, in Saudi Arabia, but he struggled a lot more than the Portuguese, and an ACL rupture compounded this misery.
It’s almost certain that Neymar will be going back to boyhood club Santos, although he could have been an option for Barcelona. According to a report from COPE’s Victor Navarro, the Catalans were recently offered the chance to bring back one of their best players from the last 15 years.
📦Neymar haciendo ahora mismo cajas de mudanza destino Brasil. Vuelve a casa
🇧🇷Por cierto, lo han ofrecido al Barça estas semanas
Ney quiere jugar, volver con la Selección, ir preparando el Mundial 2026 y que en verano se vuelva a hablar de él por aquí
— Víctor Navarro (@victor_nahe) January 26, 2025
This news comes days after Barcelona sporting director Deco stated that Neymar is still more than good enough to play for any club in the world, despite his struggles over the last couple of years. He clearly saw the Brazilian as being a good option for Hansi Flick’s squad, but understandably, a move would not have been entertained at all because of the club’s well-documented financial woes.
It is a shame for Barcelona in this regard, as left wing is a position that they are keen to address in the final days of the winter transfer window. Marcus Rashford is the player that is being sought, although a deal will not be possible unless Ansu Fati moves on – and this looks very unlikely, as he is determined to stand his ground in Catalonia.
It will be interesting to see how Neymar gets on back in Brazil. A return to his homeland and boyhood club allows him the opportunity to restart in the final years of his playing career, and he still has aspirations of re-gaining his place in the national team.
