- Neymar arrived at Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023
- However, he has only played seven times in the Saudi Pro League.
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It’s fair to say that Neymar has endured a torturous 2024 on the pitch, but he still reportedly received a staggering wage package from his club Al-Hilal.
Neymar, Brazil’s record goalscorer, was recovering from a serious knee injury and struggled to stay fit, playing just two games for the Saudi Pro League team before the end of the year.
In total, those two appearances produced just 42 minutes of action for a player Al-Hilal invested heavily in to bring to the division in the summer of 2023.
Despite being at the club for 18 months, he has incredibly only taken the field on seven occasions, but that hasn’t stopped him from racking up his impressive wage package.
According to data from French media Foot Mercato, Neymar is believed to have been paid a whopping £84.6 million (€101 million) for his problems throughout 2024.
As a result of his injury-enforced inactivity last season, Neymar has seen his transfer value take a considerable hit.
Neymar has reportedly pocketed a staggering £84.6million for just 42 minutes of action in 2024.
The Brazilian legend was cruelly restricted on the field after suffering an ACL injury.
Reports had hinted that Al-Hilal was considering terminating his contract amid his fitness issues.
At the end of 2024, his market value was around £12.6 million according to Transfermarkt, a far cry from the £200 million PSG paid for the striker in 2017.
He finished 2023 worth around £37m, meaning he is the sixth-largest player in transfer value across 2024, according to Transfermarkt data.
Given his inactivity, reports emerged in November that Al-Hilal was considering terminating the player’s contract and cutting losses.
The report claims that the club have growing doubts over the role Neymar could play in the final six months of the season, with his £130million-a-year contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Neymar is currently one of eight foreign players over the age of 21 in Al-Hilal’s squad, putting the club at its limit for foreign imports under Saudi Pro League rules.
The remaining seven players have become key pieces of the squad in the absence of Neymar, leaving the Brazilian’s future in doubt.
A termination of his contract would offer Neymar the opportunity to return to Brazil, where he has been linked with a return to Santos, where he made his breakthrough.
It has also been suggested that the star will reunite with former teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami, as the trio formed a legendary attacking force during their time at Barcelona.