Neymar in talks with three MLS teams about a possible transfer

Brazilian superstar and Al Hilal forward Neymar is in initial talks with three MLS teams, including Chicago Fire FC, about a proposed move, sources told ESPN.

A source added that Inter Miami is currently not among the teams bidding Neymarand new Herons manager Javier Mascherano recently said 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 dampened expectations of a move to MLS too Neymar. Those sources also added that if he were to play in the United States, he still had hopes of signing with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in South Florida.

Brenden declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.

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 ACL in his left knee while on international duty shortly after joining Al Hilal.

Neymar returned to action in October, but a subsequent hamstring injury has kept him out of action this season. In total, he has only played seven league and cup matches, scoring one goal in an AFC Champions League group match against Nassaji Mazandaran on 3 October 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 with other teams over a new contract. Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Messi and Suarez while at Barca from 2013-17.

During his time with the Catalan club, he was part of teams 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, scoring in the second leg of the final, a 2–1 win over Peñarol.

At international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil and scored 79 goals. He was part of the Brazilian side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted, but has also been unavailable in recent years due to injuries.