Al-Hilal ‘angry’ with Neymar over Instagram images

Robin Bairner

• 26 Sept 2024 10:22 BST
• 5 min read

Neymar has provoked anger at Al-Hilal as he continues to recuperate from a serious injury.

The 32-year-old is the Saudi Pro League’s most expensive ever signing having arrived for €90 million from PSG last summer.

Neymar managed only five matches with his new club, however, before being struck down by a serious knee injury while playing with Brazil last October. Although that issue was expected to see him ruled out for a prolonged period, it had been hoped that he would be back in action by this time.

Worse, he is unlikely to be back on the field before the end of the year, with no one expecting his return any time soon after Al-Hilal did not register him for Pro League action.

Saudi fume at Neymar

Marca reports that patience is growing short with Neymar among the Saudi Pro League’s management.

“The club is already a bit fed up with the Brazilian,” the Spanish paper cites an unnamed source as telling them.

In particular, the Saudi club, which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are growing frustrated.

“The anger of the club and the Saudi Pro League is great,” Marca continues. “Al-Hilal understand that his return should have already come and that some of his behaviour off the field has not very professional. They speak of some of Neymar’s social media posts that would point to his negligence.”

Neymar, who was notoriously injury-prone during his PSG stint, has not come cheap for Al-Hilal. On top of his signing fee of €90m, the Brazilian also earns a reported €100m per year in salary.

He has a two-year deal with the Saudi Pro League side, which expires next summer. It is entirely possible, then, that Al-Hilal will only get six months of play from Neymar for an investment close to €300m.