Al Hilal denies Neymar's departure to Santos

Multiple sources have denied the news circulating about Al-Hilal Club's intention to terminate its contract with Brazilian Neymar Junior, the first-team striker, and his transfer to Brazilian club Santos during the winter transfer period. The Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadhiyah" confirmed from a responsible source in Al-Hilal that this information is "incorrect", indicating that the news that was circulated was not based on official sources from any concerned party. International media outlets had circulated the news without confirming it from reliable sources. In a sarcastic reaction, Neymar's lawyer, Brazilian Marcos Motta, described this news as "laughable", stressing that the matter is completely far from reality and was not addressed in the first place. Marcio Calves, advisor to Marcelo Teixeira, president of Santos Club, also denied in a similar statement any knowledge of the rumors related to Neymar's return to the Brazilian club, stressing that there is no talk about it. It is worth noting that Neymar (32 years old) was included in Al Hilal's Asian list that allows foreign players to participate in the AFC Champions League, while he was excluded from the list for the Saudi Roshen League and the King's Cup, to be replaced by his compatriot Renan Lodi. Neymar joined Al Hilal in the summer of 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain of France on a two-season contract, and participated in 7 matches with the team, during which he scored one goal and provided 3 assists.