Palmeiras President Rejects Neymar Signing Due to Fitness Concerns
Palmeiras president Leila Pereira has firmly dismissed any possibility of signing Neymar, citing concerns over the player’s fitness.
Addressing the recent rumors, Pereira said, “Neymar will not be joining Palmeiras; this club isn’t a medical department. I want a player who can contribute right away, someone who can play tomorrow if the manager calls for it. I won’t accept signing a player who’s not fit to play.”
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These remarks come after Neymar’s recent injury struggles. The 32-year-old Brazilian, currently playing for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, has faced ongoing fitness issues throughout his career. Most recently, he suffered a hamstring injury during Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League victory over Esteghlal on November 4, forcing him off the pitch after just 29 minutes.
This setback followed his return from a year-long recovery from an ACL tear in his left knee, sustained during international duty with Brazil.
Neymar’s ongoing injury troubles have limited him to just seven appearances for Al-Hilal, during which he has scored one goal and provided three assists since joining the club in 2023.
Given Palmeiras’ desire to sign players who can make an immediate impact, the idea of adding Neymar—who is sidelined until at least mid-December—was deemed impractical.