Brazilian football great Neymar, 32, is standing at a difficult career crossroads, with his time at Al-Hilal seeming to be over for good. Having joined the Saudi Pro League side from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a league-record £77 million in 2023, Neymar made just seven appearances in two years, scoring one goal. However, with Neymar not registered for the league despite being contracted, several reports of him switching bases to the Major League Soccer (MLS) are doing rounds.

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Per BBC, Chicago Fires is in talks with Neymar over a surprise potential move (to the MLS) after a couple of years in the Saudi Pro League. Though the Eastern Conference side would be able to make the deal work, given he will be out of contract at the end of the summer, the sources close to the information admitted that the deal is far from being completed.

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Since Neymar is not registered for the second half of the season, though he can play in the Asian Champions League games only, Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus confirmed the Brazilian has a chance to take a call on his career. 

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"The Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world. All Al-Hilal players can play for any club in Europe,” Jesus said, as quoted by the BBC.

"Neymar can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately. He is still under contract with Al-Hilal, and it may be up to him to decide his future.

"It depends on the administration. I don't know anything about Neymar's future. We have a place available on the list, reserved for a player born in 2003 or later,” he continued.

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MLS move and failed Saudi Pro League stint

The MLS transfer window opens from January 31 till April 23, and Neymar has time to decide his future. His move to the Saudi Pro League was a disaster for him and the club despite them leading the points table this season. Al-Hilal recently beat Al-Fateh 9-0 on Thursday, with European heroes Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo playing for the league leaders.

Neymar, meanwhile, suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in October 2023 which kept him out for a year.

Besides, should Neymar join the MLS, he will be with some of his former FC Barcelona teammates like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, all playing at Inter Miami. 

(With inputs from agencies)