Rumours about Neymar Jr. going to the MLS franchise Chicago Fire have quickly extinguished over the weekend, and in a surprising turn of events, it's been said that Neymar will return to his former club Santos. This Brazilian team, that discovered Neymar when he was just 13, got relegated in 2023 for their first time in history, but returned to Brazilian Serie A this year.
Neymar played for Santos from 2009 until 2013, winning a Libertadores in 2011. He then started a very successful run in Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain... and a much less successful era in the Saudi team Al-Hilal, where he barely played any matches due to a knee injury in October 2023. He returned one year later, but another injury means he still hasn't played again, and isn't even registered for the Saudi Pro League.
It's almost a given that Al-Hilal will have to say goodbye to Neymar, and they are looking for another high-profile replacement. Meanwhile, Neymar's future for the next month is still unconfirmed, but last weekend, local outlet Diario do Peixe said that conversations are taking place between Santos' president and Neymar's father to have the player move to Santos as a loan.
The salary for the player would still be covered partially by Al Hilal, as it would be a six-month loan. Some sources are saying that the agreement is virtually closed, so now the question would be is Neymar will have time to recover and show his better version in time... and what will happen in six months after the loan ends. Is Neymar buying time to join Inter Miami next year and reunite with his Barça pals?