Paris Saint-Germain have agreed to sell Brazilian striker Neymar to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for a sum believed to be about 90 million euros (£77.6 million) plus add-ons.
The move is contingent on the 31-year-old passing a medical exam and submitting all appropriate documentation.
Neymar, who joined PSG for a world record sum of 222 million euros in 2017, was absent from Saturday’s Ligue 1 opening.
He has not been included in coach Luis Enrique’s plans for the upcoming season.
It also fits with PSG’s objective of moving away from the ‘Galacticos’ period of recruiting high-profile players for large prices and large incomes.
Neymar was said to make around 25 million euros (£21.6 million) each year in France.
He has made 173 appearances for PSG, where he has helped the team win 13 trophies, including five Ligue 1 crowns and a trip to the 2020 Champions League final.
However, his tenure in Paris has been plagued by a series of ankle problems.
The former Barcelona star underwent surgery in March, causing him to miss the remainder of the season, and he just returned to training in July.
He was injured in Brazil’s first group encounter and missed two of the country’s World Cup matches in 2022.
The striker missed the 2019 Copa America due to ruptured ligaments in his right ankle, and he lost many weeks in 2021 due to a similar ailment.
The news of Neymar’s signing came only 24 hours after PSG’s Kylian Mbappe was reintegrated back into first-team training following constructive talks with the club.
The France forward, 24, has been in a contract dispute with PSG over a desire to join Real Madrid, but his current term is set to expire next summer.
PSG granted Al-Hilal permission to speak with Mbappe last month after the Saudi side made a world-record £259 million proposal.
If finalised, the deal will cap a record summer spending binge by Saudi teams, highlighting the league’s aim to become one of the world’s top competitions in the coming years.
Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino are among those who have relocated to Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar, joined Al-Nassr from Manchester United in January.
