The president of Brazilian club Palmeiras has brutally ruled out a transfer for Neymar, insisting they cannot afford to sign a player who is perennially injured.

The former Barcelona star was one of the headline names who made the move to the Saudi Pro League after leaving Paris Saint-German but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on international duty which kept him out of action for the best part of a year.

Neymar made his comeback by appearing in two AFC Champions League fixtures but then suffered a hamstring blow and is still recovering.

Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer has played just seven times in total for Al Hilal, who are paying him one of the biggest salaries in the modern game, and has been linked with an exit from the Middle East and a return to his homeland.

One team that won’t be in the running for Neymar, however, is Palmeiras. The Sao Paulo side’s president, Leila Pereira, indicated he would be returning to former team Santos and took a swipe at his fitness record for good measure.

She told UOL: “Great player, but he’s going to Santos.

“Neymar will not join Palmeiras, this club isn’t a medical department. I want someone who will come to join immediately, who can play tomorrow if the manager wishes.

“I won’t accept us signing a player who’s unfit to play.”

Neymar spent six seasons with PSG before leaving France, having won five Ligue 1 titles. However, he failed to lead the Paris giants to Champions League glory and joined Al Hilal in 2023 for a reported €90m (£75.21m) transfer fee.

His future could include a return to boyhood club Santos, though Neymar said he had no plans to move there back in the summer.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD