Santos address Neymar's future amid Barcelona, Bayern Munich speculation

The 33-year-old secured a return to his first professional club in January, and he has scored three times and registered three assists in his seven appearances for Santos since making the move back to the Brazilian giants.

Neymar's contract is due to expire at the end of June, and there is currently a host of speculation surrounding his future, with the Brazil international said to be determined to secure a return to Europe for the 2025-26 campaign.

The forward's agent is said to have held talks with Barcelona over a spectacular return to Camp Nou, while a move to Bayern Munich is thought to be a possibility, with the player confident that he still has plenty to offer at the highest level.

However, Santos remain hopeful that they will be able to keep hold of Neymar, who has managed 139 goals and 69 assists in his 232 appearances for the Brazilian team in all competitions during two separate spells.

Santos are battling to keep Neymar amid Barca, Bayern talk

"The hardest part is already done, which was having him here. We'll see the club's technical response and results; we're working on sponsorships... he's already shown he's not worried about the financial aspect," Teixeira told Marca.

"The entire technical committee supported him in his matches; everyone supports Santos, and the entire country does. And that will influence the possibility of him staying here in the near future. The national team has called him back."

Despite his obvious love for Santos, it is understood that Neymar always viewed returning to the team as a short-term move, believing that he would be able to prove his fitness after a tough spell in Saudi Arabia.

Neymar previously represented Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, scoring 105 goals and registering 76 assists in 186 appearances for the Catalan outfit, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored 118 goals and registered 77 assists in 173 appearances.

The forward made the switch to Al-Hilal in 2023, but he left the Saudi Arabian team with a record of one goal in seven appearances, and there were suggestions at the time that he could retire from professional football.

Can Santos keep hold of Neymar?

The interest from former club Barcelona is believed to be genuine, with the Catalan outfit looking to bring in a left-sided forward this summer, and Neymar is allegedly not asking for substantial wages.

Barcelona would have the chance to make an incredible amount of money through shirt sales if he were to arrive, but Bayern are also believed to be firmly in the picture for his services.

Santos will fight to sign Neymar to another contract, but it has reportedly always been in his mind to secure a switch back to Europe, so it is difficult to imagine him remaining with the Black and Whites beyond the end of the season.

Written by

Matt Law