With its disappointing 13th place in the Brazilian Serie A while awaiting the clash against Cruzeiro, Santos is having a difficult season.
Alongside this challenging sporting aspect, the club is banned from recruiting during the next three transfer windows. A regrettable situation that Neymar, the 34-year-old forward who returned to Sao Paulo in 2025, cannot ignore.
Through his NR Sports company, run by his father and himself, the “Ney” wiped 2 million euros off the tab, thereby cancelling the ban on strengthening during the upcoming transfer windows.
Following the dispute between Santos and Monaco over the transfer of Jean Lucas, who returned to Sao Paulo in 2023, the Black and Whites were ordered to pay 2 million euros to the Principality club.
A decision confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2025. In exchange for his generosity, Neymar demanded advertising space. Thus, the name of his brand appears on the bottom, at the front of Santos’ jersey.
Moreover, Neymar has also acted as a sponsor in the transfer market, allowing his connections to attract big names to his club where he somewhat dons the hat of sporting director as well.
Melo and Coutinho, the Boss’s surprises
Coming on as a substitute during the 2-0 victory two days ago in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana against Atlético Mineiro, Arthur Melo was recruited by Neymar himself.
The two men had crossed paths under the national team jersey between 2018 and 2020, playing ten matches together. In addition to bringing in the former Barcelona player, the “Ney” also convinced Philippe Coutinho that he knows him even better for having played with him in the Brazilian national team U17 and then in the A team between 2014 and 2022.
Inactive since February, the former Liverpool forward had been playing for Vasco.
