Featured Image Credit: Neymar & @transfers
Topics: Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League
Josh Lawless
Topics: Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League
Neymar could receive a whopping £130 million payment as soon as he joins Al Hilal due to a secret clause.
On Sunday it emerged that the Brazilian had reached an agreement to become the next high-profile addition to the Saudi Pro League, joining the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane.
Al Hilal had previously tried to snap up Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe but now look set to acquire the third member of the former PSG trio in Neymar, who will become one of the highest-paid players in the history of world football.
Taking the No.10 shirt and flying to Saudi this week, the 31-year-old is poised to pen a two-year contract worth a whopping £260 million.
That equates to £2.5 million per week but Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol has hinted that Neymar could be paid 50% of his salary in one go.
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With a seemingly unlimited budget when it comes to wages and clubs, Saudi clubs are prepared to offer huge lump sums for select players who choose to make the move to the Middle East.
With all the relevant documents approved, Neymar is set to link up with compatriot Malcom, as well as new teammates Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
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Al Hilal are the most successful club in Saudi Arabia and Asia on the whole, with 66 trophies in their cabinet.
The Riyahd outfit are now managed by veteran manager Jorge Jesus, who has returned to the club for a second spell.
More and more high-profile signings are expected to move to Saudi Arabia given the £17 billion put aside for transfers.
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Former Chelsea chief Michael Emenalo is the first sporting director for the league and is incharge of recruiting world-class players.
"I would love to have Kylian Mbappe here," he told the National News.
"I would love to have Harry Kane here. The league would like to have all the top players.
“And I think it will be at the heart of this whole particular strategy: it is that, in a couple of years, in a few short years, this will become a league for exceptional players only.
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“It will become a league only for those who at the top of their game because we have only 18 clubs and the space for just eight international players [at each club].
“And, yes, we have resources and we're going to use those resources to make sure, once we build up infrastructure, that the only players here are the ones at the top of their game.”