Brazil superstar and Al Hilal attacker Neymar is in preliminary talks with three MLS sides, including Chicago Fire FC, over a proposed move, sources have told ESPN.
A source added that at present, Inter Miami isn’t among the teams bidding for Neymar, and new Herons manager Javier Mascherano recently said that it would be “impossible” to add the Brazilian to the Miami roster given the restrictions MLS currently has in place.
However, sources with ESPN in Brazil have tempered expectations over a move to MLS for Neymar and added that he is still holding out hope of signing with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in South Florida.
Neymar, 32, has endured a difficult spell with Al Hilal since joining the Saudi Arabian club from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after joining Al Hilal.
Neymar made his return to the field last October, but a subsequent hamstring injury has kept him from making more of a contribution this season. All told, he has made only seven league and cup appearances, and he scored one goal, in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran, on Oct. 3, 2023.
Even without Neymar, Al Hilal won the Saudi Pro League last season.
The former Barcelona star’s contract runs through June of 2025, meaning he can begin negotiating with other teams on a new contract. Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez while with Barca from 2013-17.
During his time with the Catalan club, he was part of sides that won a UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Reys. He later moved to PSG in 2017 and won five Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and two League Cups.
Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011 in which he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.
At the international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring 79 goals. He was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted, but has also been unavailable on a regular basis in recent years due to injuries.
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