Neymar beats Santos’ transfer ban and brings in two former Premier League stars
Neymar has been out of action since he got a thigh injury on September 2 during Santos’ Brazilian Cup match against Palmeiras. But even while injured, he’s stayed important to the team off the field. Now, he’s helped Santos boost their squad by bringing in two former Premier League stars.
Santos had been facing a transfer ban from FIFA because of a legal issue with AS Monaco over the signing of Jean Lucas in July 2023. But it seems Neymar’s marketing company stepped in and paid two million euros to lift the ban. This move has helped Santos sign new players as they push for success in their league.
FIFA had actually banned Santos from signing players for three transfer windows after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeal, following Monaco’s demand for the payment. Thanks to Neymar’s company covering the cost, Santos can now bring in new talent.
Reports say NR Sports, Neymar’s family sports marketing company, handled the payment. Santos wasted no time and signed a few new players, including two who used to play for Liverpool: Arthur and Philippe Coutinho.
Arthur joined Santos on a short-term deal until December 2026. Coutinho came on board after ending his contract with Vasco da Gama in February, even though he was thinking about retiring after his time at Bayern Munich.
Arthur’s Liverpool move was back on September 1, 2022, on loan from Juventus. Liverpool paid €4.5 million for the loan, hoping he’d be a promising player for the future. However, Arthur only played one game for Liverpool and struggled with fitness issues, so the club didn’t sign him permanently.
On the other hand, Coutinho had a much bigger impact at Liverpool. He spent over five years there, joining from Inter Milan for £8.5 million. In 2013-14, he was a key part of Liverpool’s exciting attack, alongside players like Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling. He made 201 appearances and scored 54 goals during his time at Anfield.
Coutinho continued to be important under manager Jurgen Klopp before moving to Barcelona in January 2018 for £142 million. That huge fee helped Liverpool sign top players like Virgil van Dijk and Allison, which was vital for their Premier League and Champions League wins.