Saudi Pro League: Al-Hilal line up Premier League star as possible Neymar replacement

Saudi Pro League: Al-Hilal line up Premier League star as possible Neymar replacement
Saudi Pro League: Al-Hilal line up Premier League star as possible Neymar replacement

New Delhi: Saudi Pro League defending champions Al-Hilal are been the best club in the country by a mile and have been the most successful side in the league, having won the title 19 times in their history. They’re currently leading the league table but are only separated by Al-Ittihad on goal difference as both teams are locked on 37 points after 14 games. Following the investment into the club by the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment fund, they have become even better.

They signed a host of players in the 2023 summer window, bringing in the likes of Alexander Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic Savic before capping off their window by getting in Brazilian superstar Neymar to the club. Neymar joined the Riyadh based side to rival Al Nassr’s move to get Cristiano Ronaldo but it hasn’t quite worked out for both parties. With his contract up at the end of the season, it doesn’t look like they’ll be extending his stay in Saudi.

Now reports have surfaced from French publication L’Équipe that state that Al-Hilal are looking to get Premier League and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah at the club in the summer. Salah is in the final six months of his contract and hasn’t yet signed a new deal with the Merseyside club, increasing speculation on his future. L’Équipe claims that Al-Hilal have made an approach to Salah’s representatives about a move in the summer and the club are confident of getting the Egyptian to replace Neymar at the club.

British tabloid newspaper The Sun also reports that the club have offered a mind boggling £65 million salary for two years in order to bring him to the club. Saudi Arabian football is heavily interested in getting Salah to the middle east given that he is the most popular and prominent Muslim footballer in the world and getting someone with his talents to the country would help increase the popularity even more ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup that is set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

Neymar’s disaster spell at Al-Hilal

Brazilian superstar Neymar was supposed to be the club’s marquee signing that would lead the team to glory and promote the team on a world level but his time in the middle east has been riddled with injuries. He was brought in after for a huge fee of £77 million and was reportedly on a deal worth £129 million per year at the club but he has barely made an appearance for the club during his time in Riyadh.

During his one and half years till now, he’s only made seven appearances for Al Hilal, with two of them coming this season. He went off injured just two games after coming back from an ACL injury he suffered last season and is yet to score a goal in the Saudi Pro League. Neymar has only scored one goal for the club and provided three assists in one and half years and with his contract up at the end of the season, this has been arguably the worst transfer in history given the amount of money involved.

 Defending Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal are looking at replacing Neymar in the summer and have earmarked a Premier League star who has been on fire this season. Dive in to find out more about this story!  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today