-
Jeff Carlisle, US soccer correspondent
Brazilian superstar and Al Hilal striker Neymar is in preliminary talks with three MLS teams, including Chicago Fire FC, over a proposed transfer, sources have told ESPN.
A source added that at present Inter Miami are not among the teams vying for Neymar, and new Herons manager Javier Mascherano recently said it would be “impossible” to add the Brazilian to Miami’s roster given the restrictions currently in place in MLS. .
However, ESPN sources in Brazil have tempered expectations regarding Neymar’s move to MLS and added that he still holds out hope of signing with his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the south of Florida.
The Fire declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.
Neymar, 32, has endured a difficult time with Al Hilal since joining the Saudi 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 pitch last October, but a hamstring injury has prevented him from contributing further this season. In total, he only played seven league and cup matches, and he scored one goal in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran on October 3, 2023.
Even without Neymar, Al Hilal won the Saudi Pro League last season.
The former Barcelona star’s contract runs until June 2025, meaning he can start negotiating a new deal with other teams. Neymar remains one of the biggest names in sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Barça from 2013 to 2017.
During his time at the Catalan club, he was part of teams that won one UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles and three Copa del Reys. He then joined 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 victory over Peñarol.
At international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring 79 goals. He was part of the Brazilian team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, hosted by Brazil, but he has also been regularly unavailable in recent years due to injuries.
