Santos president confident of 'inevitable' Neymar return

Brazilian side Santos are growing increasingly confident they can lure Neymar Jr back to the club in future.

Neymar’s road to European football started at Santos, where he scored an incredible 136 goals  in 225 games, before joining Barcelona, aged 21, in 2013.

The Brazilian international won three league titles, plus the Copa Libertadores, before opting to make the move to Europe and the link remains strong.

However, the 32-year-old faces a wildly uncertain future, after choosing to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Neymar is still in recovery following a serious knee injury in October, which needed surgery, and Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has previously dropped a major hint over a return.

Teixeira has since doubled down on those comments, but indicated the situation is still evolving, and will take time to complete.

“He has a relationship of appreciation, respect and gratitude towards Santos. I think that path (to return) is inevitable,” as per quotes from Mundo Deportivo.

“But, for now I see a void in his intention to return to Brazil, as many thing need to develop.”

Neymar is under contract at Al Hilal until 2025, and they are unlikely to release him before the end of his deal, due to the major financial outlay made to bring him to the Middle East.