Contract expires 

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Could Brazilian legend Neymar be headed to FC Cincinnati? According to a report by The Athletic, the Major League Soccer club has contacted Neymar’s camp to discuss a potential transfer. It must be stressed, however, that those talks are still very much in their preliminary stages. In general, Cincinnati need to find out whether Neymar would be interested in joining their club in the first place.

Those initial talks make sense. Although Cincinnati are an ambitious club, they have struggled to attract big-name talent from outside the league. Last year, Cincinnati attempted to sign Thomas Müller but failed. The 2014 World Cup winner refused to move to Cincinnati and instead pushed for a move to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Whitecaps eventually acquired his rights before signing Müller last summer.

Hence, before committing to sign Neymar, the club wants to determine whether pursuing the Brazilian would make sense. There are also other considerations. In the form of Evander, Kévin Denkey, and Miles Robertson, Cincinnati already have three Designated Players under contract. Although DP status hasn’t been an obstacle in the past when MLS teams attempted to sign star players from abroad, fitting Neymar into the current salary structure would be a struggle.

Neymar headed to MLS? Contract with Santos expires at the end of the 2026 season

Neymar joined his boyhood club Santos on a free transfer in January 2025 and remains under contract until the end of the 2026 season. Although he has been in good form this season, scoring three goals and three assists in six games across all competitions, injuries have been a concern for the 34-year-old. Since joining Santos, Neymar has missed 30 games due to injury. Injury concerns have also kept him out of Carlo Ancelotti’s latest Brazil squad, putting doubt over his participation in this summer’s World Cup.

Although arguably a level below Brazil’s Série A, MLS still provides significant challenges, especially for a player like Neymar, who has struggled with injuries. The long travel, time differences, and the climate can all be problematic for older players struggling with fitness. Furthermore, MLS is a physical competition, which could be another challenge for Neymar. Those sorts of challenges have been visible at Minnesota United, where James Rodríguez is still struggling to make an impact. Those are additional factors for Cincinnati to consider before they weigh up whether to continue pursuing the Brazilian.