Neymar pays off Santos’ debts and moves to sign two Brazil stars

Neymar da Silva has taken on what amounts to a sporting director role at his boyhood club Santos, stepping in to resolve a debt crisis and lift the penalty banning the club from making signings, before setting out to bolster the squad with two heavyweight deals.

The trouble stemmed from a financial dispute with Monaco worth two million euros, relating to the transfer of Jean Lucas in the summer of 2023. When the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Santos’ appeal in May 2025, the club was left barred from registering players across three transfer windows.

Neymar’s marketing company took on the payment of the penalty amount in return for advertising space on the team’s shirts, where the “Pelé” brand acquired by the player’s company appeared.

His role did not stop at the financial side. Sidelined by a knee injury sustained against Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil, Neymar is now working behind the scenes to help Santos prepare for the decisive stage of the season.

Santos sit thirteenth in the Brazilian league, just seven points clear of the relegation zone. They also prepare to face Atlético Mineiro in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarter-final, having won the first leg 2-0.

Part of that rebuild is already done. Neymar has persuaded Arthur Melo to join Santos, the 30-year-old midfielder arriving after spells with a number of Europe’s major clubs, most notably Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool.

Another Brazilian star could soon follow. Philippe Coutinho terminated his contract with Vasco da Gama last February, and Neymar has come close to convincing him to return to Santos.

The former Liverpool player turned out for Santos between 2012 and 2018. He hesitated for a long time over the offer, but he is now close to accepting the invitation of his former Brazil national team colleague.