'I gave everything to play' - Neymar sends emotional farewell message to Al-Hilal fans ahead of expected return to Santos

The 32-year-old has been linked with a Santos return in recent weeks and that only accelerated after he was excluded from Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League squad for the second half of the season. The Middle Eastern team terminated the Brazilian's contract this week and now the ex-Barcelona star has bid Al-Hilal's supporters a fond farewell, saying he "gave everything to play" for them during his injury-hit spell.

He wrote on Instagram: "To everyone at Al Hilal, to the fans, Thank you !! I gave everything to play and I wish we enjoyed better times on the pitch together ... To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034. Your future will be incredible, special things are happening. And I will always support you !!! 🙏💙🤍🇸🇦."

Neymar swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023 for a whopping €90m (£77m/$98m) but he made just seven appearances in all competitions. This may go down as one of the worst transfers in football history.

It seems just a matter of time before Neymar rejoins his old side Santos, where he made a name for himself before signing for Barcelona in 2013.