Once again, one of the world’s most popular footballers is headed to Saudi Arabia — let’s explore the details of Al Hilal’s blockbuster Neymar transfer.
Have more world-beating soccer stars changed teams louder and more dramatically than they have during the summer transfer window of 2023? We’ve never seen anything quite like Lionel Messi’s leap from Paris Saint-Germain to MLS side Inter Miami, but both Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid) and Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich) both relocated on deals worth over $100 million.
Now, amid a similar swirl of rumors that included Major League Soccer, a different global superstar is leaving PSG.
Iconic Brazilian forward Neymar is off to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal for a reported €90 million ($98.1 million) transfer fee.
Al Hilal, who previously sought to sign Messi and current PSG star Kylian Mbappé only to be denied, is one of four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by the country’s sovereign Public Investment Fund, which additionally owns Newcastle United of England’s Premier League and the controversial LIV Golf League. The PIF’s domestic teams include Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, and Al Nassr, the latter of which famously signed Cristiano Ronaldo in an unprecedented moment for pro sports in the Persian Gulf and Middle East regions.
Now that the deal is signed, let’s take a closer look at this head-turning Neymar Al Hilal transfer.
Neymar Contract & Transfer Details at Al Hilal
Agreed on: Aug. 13, 2023
Transfer fee: €90,000,000 ($98,100,000)
Estimated market value: €60,000,000 ($65,400,000) via Transfermarkt
Contract length: 2 years
Total value: €300,000,000 ($327,000,000); can extend to €400,000,000 ($436,500,000) with bonuses/business tie-ins, per French outlet Foot Mercato
Average annual value: €150,000,000 – €200,000,000 ($163,700,000 – $218,268,000)
Free agency: 2025
Additional contract perks, as reported by Foot Mercato, include:
- €80,000 bonus per match won
- €500,000 per social media post promoting Saudi Arabia
- Private jet access
- A luxury home with dedicated staff
Moving ahead, Al Hilal now has a true sporting centerpiece to line up in a starting XI that also includes among its recent additions Senegal international defender Kalidou Kolibaly via Chelsea and Portugal national team midfielder Ruben Neves via Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Neymar, 31, departs Paris Saint-Germain for Saudi Arabia after recording 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 games. A versatile forward who prefers to cut inside from the left half of the pitch, he boasts an additional 77 goals in 124 games for Brazil since making his international debut in 2010.
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