Would Neymar Move To Serie A? Brazilian Linked With Italy Move As Santos Contract Nears Its End

Multiple Serie A sides have been put on high alert as Neymar Jr. is reportedly considering a return to Europe in the January transfer window.

Will Neymar Jr Leave Santos?

The Brazilian soccer icon has endured a difficult spell during his return to Santos and Neymar could be on his way out of his home nation in the January transfer window.

In January of this year Neymar completed a historic move back to where his career began, joining Santos as a free agent following an injury-ridden spell in Saudi Arabia.

Unfortunately for the global soccer star, these injury issues have persisted since returning to Brazil and the 33-year-old has missed over 15 matches.

Alongside his own personal injury issues, the former PSG star has struggled to replicate the form from his initial stage with Santos and the Brazilian side find themselves in a relegation battle.

Santos sit 16th in Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table, just one point above the relegation places and Neymar has scored just three goals in 16 league appearances this season.

The 33-year-old has also faced some difficulty with supporters after picking up a red card during a 1-0 defeat by Botafogo on June 1st, which has put some question over his contract situation in Brazil.

Neymar’s deal with Santos is set to expire in December 2025, meaning he could become available as a free agent in the January transfer window.

One possibility is a switch to Italy and the Brazilian is not the only player that could complete a move for free in 2026, as Lorenzo Insigne is eyeing-up a return to Serie A after being released by Toronto in July.

Could Neymar Jr Move To Serie A?

Given the global recognition and status Neymar possesses in the sport of soccer, there are only a handful of sides that could tempt the Brazilian into a move next year.

Juventus are the most successful team in Serie A history, holding the record for the most Scudetto wins (36) and the Bianconeri are widely regarded as the biggest team in Italy.

However, recent performances have failed to live up to this reputation and Juve have endured a whirlwind start to the 2025/26 season – already parting ways with Igor Tudor.

The Romanian was relieved of his duties after a run of eight matches without a win and Juventus brought in Luciano Spalletti to help guide them back into European contention.

Neymar would add a tremendous amount of quality to Juve’s roster and the Brazilian has been linked with a move to Turin in the past – most recently during the 2025 summer window.

Another possibility for the 33-year-old is joining Inter Milan, as the Nerazzurri have been one of the most dominant forces in Italy during recent seasons.

The Nerazzurri have featured in two of the last three Champions League finals and won their most recent Serie A title in 2023/24.

Simone Inzaghi parted ways with Inter at the end of the 2024/25 campaign after a crushing defeat by PSG and the Italian was replaced by former Inter defender, Cristian Chivu.

After a rocky start to the season, Chivu has managed to find his feet as Inter Milan boss and his side currently sit top of Serie A – while also winning each of their matches in Europe.

If moving to Milan is an attractive option for Neymar, then the Brazilian may consider the other half of the city and follow in the footsteps of Ronaldinho by joining AC Milan.

The Rossoneri are considering some major changes in the January window, as Santiago Gimenez is set to leave Milan and make way for an attacking reinforcement.

Massimiliano Allegri has made a strong start to his second-spell as AC Milan manager, sitting third in Serie A after 11 matches and should be heavily backed in January.

How Much Does Neymar Jr Earn?

Signing Neymar Jr would be a major coup for any of these Italian sides, but there could be major issues in negotiations as the Brazilian’s salary structure is somewhat complicated.

The 33-year-old reportedly earns around €38,000 per week in Brazil, which is a vast drop from the €2.3m he was earning during his time in Saudi Arabia.

However, this decrease in salary was specific to Santos due to Neymar’s history with the club and is unlikely to be the value when negotiating with a side in Europe.

Neymar also owns 90% of his image rights with Santos, which reportedly earns the Brazilian an additional €900,000 per week – something he will not be willing to relinquish.

Players in Serie A tend to keep 100% of their image rights in Serie A, but this means clubs can use the player’s image for specific club and league advertisements.