Wed Jan 29 04:51:57 UTC 2025: ## Santos President Urges Neymar’s Return After Al Hilal Departure
**São Paulo, Brazil** – Santos FC president Marcelo Teixeira has publicly appealed to Neymar Jr. to return to the club where he launched his illustrious career. In an Instagram video posted Tuesday, Teixeira declared, “The time has come, Neymar. The time has come for you to return to your people, to your home, to our beloved club.” His heartfelt message, urging the Brazilian superstar to “come and be happy again in the sacred jersey,” follows Neymar’s mutual contract termination with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal on Monday.
Neymar, who hinted at packing his bags on his own Instagram earlier that day, spent just 18 injury-plagued months in Riyadh, playing only seven matches despite earning a reported $104 million annually. The 32-year-old’s highly publicized departure from Al Hilal marks the end of a chapter that saw him leave his mark at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, achieving Champions League glory with the former and setting a world-record transfer fee in his move to the latter. Before his European adventures, Neymar rose through Santos’ youth academy, making 225 appearances and scoring 136 goals for the Brazilian club.
While Teixeira’s statement is an enthusiastic plea, it does not constitute an official confirmation of Neymar’s return to Santos. Nevertheless, the president’s public appeal reflects the club’s desire to welcome back their prodigal son, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals.
First Piper 