Neymar Jr’s move from French club PSG to Al-Hilal of the Saudi Arabia deal isn’t anything to scoff at, money-wise. The numbers haven’t been officially reported, though the latest report put the two-year deal at around 160 million euros. But that’s not all, as the deal also includes some out-of-the-world perks and even some bending of Saudi Arabia’s laws for Neymar’s benefit.
Those perks include a private plane for the Brazilian star, a house with staff, € 80,000 (estimated $87,395) for each Al-Hilal win, and a reported € 500,000 (estimated $546,220) for each story or social media post that promotes Saudi Arabia. As if that weren’t enough, the country is allowing Neymar something that isn’t even legal – the possibility of living with his girlfriend Bruna Biancardi, even though they are not married.
Neymar already passed the medical exams needed for the deal, a crucial thing as he’s been out of action since March 2023 and underwent reconstructive ankle ligament surgery. The official contract documents have also been signed. The Brazilian forward is expected in Saudi Arabia later this week.
Whether this is the right move for Neymar’s career remains to be seen, but financially, it’s hard to argue against what Saudi Arabia offered him – especially considering no other top club was capable of coming close to matching Al-Hilal’s offer. But with the Saudi league still far below the competitive level of Europe, this financially sound decision for Neymar might still be one he regrets later on.