Neymar, who spent 6 seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, became the most recent outstanding footballer to accept the riches on offer from the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday by completing a transfer to Al Hilal. The clubs agreed to a fee of 90 million euros ($98 million) for the transfer of the Brazil forward, a record for a league now financially backed by the oil-rich state.
Al Hilal, a record 18-time national champion, is one of four Saudi clubs effectively nationalized by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a $700 billion sovereign wealth fund. The 31-year-old Neymar agreed to a two-year contract for about $100 million each year. That is about half of the estimated salary of Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al Nassr.
“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar stated in the club’s announcement. He added, “I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment.”
Malcom, a Brazilian winger, Rúben Neves, a Portuguese midfielder and Kalidou Koulibaly, a Senegalese defender, are also on Al Hilal’s team. Malcom and Neves were the subjects of the previous two most expensive transfer fees paid by a Saudi club, with Wolverhampton paying a reported 60 million euros ($65 million) and 55 million euros ($60 million), respectively.