Neymar has earned a staggering amount at Al Hilal as he closes in on surprise transfer

It looks like Neymar's short, but lucrative, spell at Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal is coming to an end.

The 32-year-old became one of the world's highest paid athletes in 2023, when he joined one of Saudi Arabia's biggest clubs for a reported £77.6 million plus add-ons.

It is said the former PSG and Barcelona forward earns a weekly base salary of £1.6 million at Al Hilal, according to Capology, which equates to around £84 million per year.

But things haven't turned out the way Neymar, or Al Hilal, would have imagined. After rupturing his ACL just five games into his debut, the Brazilian has spent much of his time in Saudi on the sidelines.

In fact, he only managed 42 minutes of action across 2024, with November's much-anticipated comeback being cut short after a torn hamstring in their AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal FC.

Last year, it is believed the Brazil international was paid around €101 million [£84.6m] for his contribution, according to French outlet Foot Mercato, as per Fabrizio Romano.

If you break down those number based on the 42 minutes he played for Al Hilal, then Neymar earned €50.5 million per appearance, €2.4 million per minute and a remarkable €1.1 million for each touch of the ball.

Now, it looks like Brazilian will make a move in the January transfer window.

Neymar is reportedly 'close' to returning to boyhood club Santos, according to Fabrizio Romano, after the Brazilian club submitted a formal loan proposal for their former player.

At this stage, Santos are waiting for the green light from Al Hilal but it appears they are leading the race to sign Neymar over other interested parties such as MLS side Chicago Fire.

Neymar made his name at Santos during a decade-long spell at the Vila Belmiro. In total, he represented the club on 225 occasions, notching 136 goals and 64 assists during a four-year stint with the first-team.

Neymar played just 42 minutes of competitive action in 2024. Image credit: Getty

Al Hilal manager Jorge Jesus has already confirmed Neymar will not be registered for their upcoming league games.

"Ney will not be registered, but he can participate in the Asian Champions League," said Jesus. “He’s world class. But the truth is, physically, Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to.

"Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately. The only thing I know is that Neymar is not registered [in the Saudi Pro league]. Until Jan. 31 the [transfer] window is open. So I'm not going to speculate on things I don't know."