Neymar closing on return to boyhood club Santos - sources - ESPN

Brazil superstar Neymar is closing in on a return to former club Santos, sources have told ESPN.

Neymar currently remains on the books of Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, but the team's manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that the Brazilian attacker can «no longer play at the level we are used to,» and as a result wasn't registered to play in the Saudi Pro League, leaving Neymar eligible to play only in the Asian Champions League.

As a consequence, Neymar has been looking for his next playing opportunity, and appears to have found it with the club at which he began his professional career.

Sources tell ESPN that the player's contract with Al Hilal is heading towards being terminated, but the final details still need to be agreed. The two sides are expected to meet early this week with the hope of reaching a conclusion. If that occurs, Neymar is set to sign a six-month contract with Santos, with an option for it to be extended by an additional year.

If the deal with Santos is completed, Neymar is set to travel to Brazil some time this week, and could feature for Santos as soon as Feb. 5.

By terminating his contract with Al Hilal, which ran through this summer, Neymar would leave about $65 million on the table. Sources have told ESPN he could make up at least some of the shortfall by having himself and his father, Neymar Santos Sr., become part of an investment fund that includes shares in Santos.

However, ESPN Brazil is reporting that Neymar is still determined to recoup the money he feels Al Hilal owes him and that any deal involving shares in Santos would be extremely difficult to pull off in the short term.

So, while the framework for a return to Santos is in place in principle, there are still sticking points that