Bature Abdulsobur
Sport Journalist
Published
Neymar’s return to his boyhood club, Santos, is complete.
One of Brazil’s greatest footballing exports, and still the world’s most expensive player, has signed a six-month contract that brings him back to Vila Belmiro.
The 32-year-old’s homecoming follows the termination of his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal on 27 January, closing the chapter on an injury-plagued and ultimately unfulfilling stint in the Middle East.
“He was desperate to come back to Santos,” said BBC Sport’s Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.
Santos were eager to bring Neymar back too. They reportedly used an AI-generated voice of club legend Pele, external in a video to persuade him to re-sign.
But what will Neymar really bring to Santos?
As Balague said: “Everyone knows where he is now with his relationship to football.”
The relationship has evolved throughout his career, earning Neymar a reputation as ‘the prince who never became king’.
