15 August 2023 , 23:52
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Neymar has become the latest star to move to Saudi Arabia and his Al-Hilal transfer will see him go head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Brazilian forward has joined the Saudi Pro League side in a €100million (£86.3m) deal that will see him earn £129m-a-year, which is around £2.5m per week. Neymar will join ex-Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, ex-Lazio star Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Brazilian compatriot Malcom at Al-Hilal.
He will also be reunited with Ronaldo, who became the first high-profile player to move to the Middle Eastern country when he signed for Al-Nassr after seeing his Manchester United contract cancelled in December. It will be the first time that Neymar and Ronaldo have played in the same domestic league since 2017, when the Brazil star left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £200m deal.
Playing for bitter rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two flamboyant attackers developed quite the rivalry over four years in LaLiga and in the Champions League since. While Ronaldo’s main opponent over the years has undoubtedly been Lionel Messi, Neymar has also challenged his status as the sport’s biggest star.
Ronaldo’s side, Al-Nassr, got the better of Al-Hilal in the recent Arab Club Champions Cup final thanks to two goals from their Portuguese talisman. Al-Hilal will now be able to call upon Neymar when they next meet in the Saudi Pro League on November 30.
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But while they will be on opposing sides once again, Neymar is on record expressing his admiration for Ronaldo. Asked in an interview with DAZN in September, he described him as a “genius”.
The 31-year-old has also looked at 38-year-old Ronaldo as a blueprint to follow as he gets older. "The three athletes that you mentioned (Messi, Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic ) are reference points,” he said in 2021.
Neymar played against Cristiano Ronaldo in January (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images) HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Neymar live up to his price tag in Saudi Arabia? Comment below.
"I believe that I’m on the same path as them because I take care of myself a lot and I work hard. I know that I need my body ready to play at the high level that I demand of myself.”
Neymar will now set about adapting himself to a new environment after PSG sold him in an effort to transition towards a younger side under Luis Enrique.
PSG chief executive, Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world.
“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”