Report: Neymar on verge of returning to boyhood club Santos

Neymar's time in Saudi Arabia is coming to an end.

The Brazilian's return to Santos is imminent after his boyhood club reached a verbal agreement over a deal with Al-Hilal, reports transfer insider Fabrizio Romano. The clubs will convene in the coming days to finalize the move, Romano adds.

Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that Neymar, 32, can "no longer play at the level we are used to," fueling rumors of a departure. He wasn't registered to play in the second half of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) season as a result.

It's possible that Al-Hilal could decide to terminate Neymar's contract, sources told Jeff Carlisle of ESPN. That would free him to rejoin the team where he launched his professional career in 2009. A six-month contract with an option to extend by an additional year is being discussed, Carlisle adds.

Depending on the speed of the negotiations, Neymar could be available to play for Santos as early as Feb. 5.

Returning to Brazil would bring the curtain down on a lackluster spell in Saudi Arabia for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

Al-Hilal paid a reported €90 million to sign the forward from PSG in the summer of 2023, giving him a contract worth an estimated €101 million annually. But Neymar tore his ACL while on international duty with Brazil not long after making that switch, missing a full calendar year as a result and struggling to regain full fitness after recovering from the serious knee injury.

He's made just seven appearances in all competitions since joining Al-Hilal, scoring one goal.

Neymar, the top scorer in the history of Brazil's men's national team, was also linked with a move to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer this month, while the idea of a reunion with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami was floated. But his preference all along has seemingly been to play for Santos again.