Neymar holds his Al-Hilal shirt as he poses with President Fahd Bin Saad Al-Nafel. Reuters

Gulf Today Report

After six years in Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian star Neymar put an end to his Parisian adventure by moving to the Saudi club Al-Hilal.
 
Neymar joined a group of other stars in the Saudi League, such as Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and Senegalese Sadio Mane (Al-Nasr), Frenchmen Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kante (Al-Ittihad) and Algerian Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahly).
 
He will also join other stars in his new team, such as Portuguese Robin Neves, Serbian Sergey Milinkovic-Savic, Senegalese Khalido Coulibaly and his compatriot Malcolm.
 

Al-Hilal published, through his official account on the “X” website (formerly Twitter), a video showing Neymar in the blue Al-Hilal shirt, saying in English, “I am here in Saudi Arabia… I am Hilal.”
 
Paris Saint-Germain published a statement on its official website, in which it quoted its Qatari president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, as saying, “It is always difficult to bid farewell to an exceptional player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world.”
 
He added, “I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he contributed to our club and our project over the past six years. We had great moments and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”
 
Al-Hilal published an official statement, in which it referred to Neymar’s contract, which extends “for an initial period of two years until at least 2025,” indicating that the Brazilian is set to wear the “number 10” jersey in the most crowned club in Asia.
 
The club pointed out that the contract, which was signed at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, indicated that Neymar “will complete the official procedures before revealing it to the masses in Saudi Arabia.”
 
"I achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I always wanted to be a world-class player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places," the Brazilian was quoted as saying.
 
He added, “I want to write a new sporting history, and the Saudi League has tremendous energy and high quality at the present time. I have heard a lot and know that I have completed a long list of Brazilian players who have played in Saudi Arabia over the years, so I think it is the right place.”
 
He believed, "Al-Hilal is a giant club with great fans, and it is the best in Asia, and this gives me the feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club."
 
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Hilal Club, Fahd Bin Saad Bin Nafel, said, “Neymar is a global symbol that brought joy and pleasure to all fans, wherever he was playing. We are delighted that he has joined Al Hilal… He is an unstoppable attacking force and has achieved a lot in his brilliant career.”
 
Neymar arrived in Saint-Germain in 2017 from Barcelona for a world record amount at the time of 220 million euros.
 
Neymar agreed to the golden offer from Saudi Arabia, where he would receive a huge salary in Al Hilal, estimated, according to a source in Saudi Arabia, at 100 million euros ($109 million) per year for the player.