Why did Neymar avoid a Barcelona reunion for Al Hilal? Prime cause revealed - Reports

Neymar has moved from PSG to the Saudi Pro League to play for Al Hilal. The player played for Paris Saint-Germain for six years, but they never won the UEFA Champions League, which was their main goal. Due to internal issues with the club, the Brazilian decided to look for new opportunities. However, there were chances that he could return to FC Barcelona, but that failed due to various reasons, which led to him winding up in Al Hilal.

3 things you need to know 

• Neymar is the joint all-time top goalscorer for Brazil with the legendary Pele
• Neymar moved to FC Barcelona from Santos in 2013
• Neymar’s contract with Al Hilal expires on Jun 30, 2025

Also Read: Saudi Club Al-Hilal Announce Neymar Signing, Forward Agrees To A Record-breaking Salary

Why did Neymar's move to FC Barcelona crash?

Barcelona president Joan Laporta met with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to examine the possibility of re-signing Neymar. There was also a discussion of the monetary implications of a transfer. It appears that as long as Xavi is the head coach at Barcelona, Neymar will not be returning. According to several reports, Neymar's primary target in this transfer market was to return to FC Barcelona, where he was regarded as having made the most of his career so far.

[Brazil's Neymar Jr celebrates after scoring a goal from the penalty spot; Image: AP]

Neymar had a productive four-year career with Barcelona the first time around, scoring 105 goals and dishing out 76 assists in 186 games. The 2014–15 season, in which Barcelona won the treble, was the first in which he had the honour of playing alongside Xavi. However, Xavi and the board recently sold Dembele to PSG, as he will be playing alongside Mbappe in Ligue 1.

Many reports suggest that Neymar never had a healthy relationship with Xavi, and this could be a major reason for the transfer to fall off. However, the Saudi Pro League has been getting very competitive since European top stars, which could explain Neymar's choice to go in a different direction. Therefore, the Brazilian forward accepted a lucrative two-year contract with Al-Hilal. Including bonuses and incentives, Neymar stands to earn up to $400 million over the course of the contract's two years, a remarkable sum by any measure.

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When will Neymar make his debut for Al-Hilal?

In their second league matchup, Hilal in the Saudi Pro League takes on Al-Feiha on Saturday. Neymar and Al-Hilal fans might see him make his debut in this encounter. Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 for a record $242.58 million. In 173 games for Paris, Neymar scored 118 goals in Ligue 1 and won 5 league titles.