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Neymar managed just seven appearances in 18 months at Al-Hilal
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Neymar ended his time in Saudi Arabia in January when he cut his Al-Hilal contract short to return to Santos in Brazil, and one Saudi Pro League official has revealed just how the league felt about his time in the Middle East. After completing a €90m move from PSG to sign for Al-Hilal in 2023, Neymar became the Saudi Pro League's most-expensive transfer ever, and another high-profile star to swap European football for the Middle East. Things didn't work out for the Brazilian, though, with a ruptured cruciate ligament injury limiting his playing time. In his 18 months at Al-Hilal he made just seven appearances in total. And even then, he only managed to feature in 428 total minutes during those seven games, scoring just one goal and registering three assists. Considering that Neymar earned an astronomical reported wage of €150m per year, in Four Four Two's view it became arguably the worst transfer in history. But despite the finances involved and the complete lack of value that Al-Hilal and the Saudi Pro League got out of Neymar in general, officials don't look back in anger over the transfer. "Neymar came and went, and of course, he took many fans with him, who still follow him personally, " Mohammed Basrawi, General Manager of Marketing Communications for the Saudi Pro League, told Marca. But it wasn't a disappointment. "What happened with Neymar is football, that's all. Injuries can happen. It was a serious injury at the start of his contract, and that can happen to anyone. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. "We would have liked him to have played more, but that's football. " Since returning to Santos at the end of January, Neymar has already matched the same number of appearances he managed in 18 months at Al-Hilal, picking up three Man of the Match awards having scored three goals, too. Neymar's contract with Santos only runs until the end of June this year, meaning he will be free to join whichever club he likes in the summer. A return to Barcelona has been suggested, while Santos are also keen on extending his deal if he manages to continue his form and consistency. Transfermarkt values Neymar at €15m. Ryan is a staff writer for Four Four Two, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across Four Four Two, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with Four Four Two permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future. Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne to move to MLS this summer: report Arsenal star set to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia as part of monster deal: report Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne to move to MLS this summer: report
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