Neymar's glittering career looked dangerously close to petering out after an unsuccessful move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal threatened to force him into early retirement.
The Brazilian hero has made just seven appearances in a season-and-a-half since the €80 million move from Paris Saint Germain, tearing his knee ligament early into his debut campaign before picking up further issues upon returning in the early knockings of the 2024/25 campaign.
The forward reportedly earns over €100 million per year, leading to suggestions that the Saudi champions would be willing to part ways if a suitable offer came in.
Santos Director opens door for heroic Neymar return
Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus confirmed the extent of Neymar's most recent setback, telling reporters: "Neymar is a very important player, not just for Al-Hilal but for the league as a whole. However, I can't specify an exact date for his return. We will assess his condition again in January."
The 32-year-old - ranked at No.35 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Barcelona players of all time - has been heavily linked with a move away from the Middle East in the coming months, with early suggestions of a move to Inter Miami so far failing to materialise.
Rumours have instead begun to focus on a potential return to boyhood club Santos, with multiple reports claiming that a contract termination could be on the cards in order to facilitate the move.
Norberto Goncalves, Santos' financial director, added further fire to these rumours, telling Flashscore Brazil: "There is interest from Santos... There's interest from Neymar too, but obviously, it doesn't depend on him alone, just as it doesn't depend on Santos alone. It's a complex operation. He's still linked to Al Hilal.
"If he comes, I don't have to worry too much about the financial side. He pays for himself, just with his presence, shirt sales, tickets, etc. But it's a complex operation that doesn't just depend on the club or the player."
He added: "He's an exceptional athlete, I've known him since he played indoor football."
Despite spending just four years as a senior player at the club, Neymar has made more appearances for Santos than any other club in his career, making his name in Brazil before his enormous move to Barcelona in 2013.
The forward lifted the Copa Libertadores during his time at the club and would join other big names in Brazil such as Memphis Depay, Gabriel Barbosa and Philippe Coutinho
