Neymar could take ownership of Santos' training ground as shocking details of £13m debt owed to Brazilian superstar revealed

According to reports from Estadãoand Sport Insider, Santos have formally acknowledged an £13m debt to NR Sports, the image rights company run by the player's father. This revelation came to light just hours before the club's Deliberative Council met on Monday to approve the 2025 financial accounts. The board voted to pass the financials with 109 votes in favour, 37 against, and one abstention, giving president Marcelo Teixeira a 74% approval rating. However, the sessions were overshadowed by the details of the contract amendment signed on December 30, which highlighted the heavy burden placed upon the club.

The massive obligation is split into two parts. The club must first pay £4m in five monthly instalments of £760,000 between January and May 2026, without any monetary correction. Following that, the remaining £9m is to be settled across 43 monthly payments of £200,000 starting in June, but this portion will be adjusted for inflation using the IPCA/FGV index. The overarching goal is to clear the debt by early 2030. Crucially, if Santos miss a single instalment, the club have agreed to an acceleration clause that forces them to pay the entire £9m balance immediately in cash.

To secure this agreement, Santos have offered the CT Meninos da Vila, their famed youth academy base, as a real legal guarantee. If the club default on the debt, the 34-year-old forward's representatives could potentially take control of the property. The contract also contains strict political conditions to protect the creditors. The debt must be paid in full immediately if Teixeira fails to win re-election in December 2026, or if the club decide to transition into a corporate ownership structure. This leaves the club entirely dependent on their current leadership and limits their administrative flexibility over the coming years.

The broader financial picture remains bleak, as the club have seen their total debt climb to £146m. Short-term obligations have reached £53m, and unpaid wages surged to over £2m by the end of 2025. Despite these severe financial constraints, the player remains tightly linked to his boyhood team.