Neymar battles back against ‘weak’ Saudi Pro League jibes and suggests the division might be BETTER than Ligue 1 following a summer of superstar arrivals

Neymar has suggested that the Saudi Pro League is a better standard than Ligue 1 and stressed that the high-profile names starring in the Middle East have developed a new standard in the emerging division.

The Brazilian became the league’s summer signing after leaving Paris Saint-Germain to join Al-Hilal in a £78 million deal that would see him capitalize on a career in European football.

Neymar joined esteemed company Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane, while former Man City star Riyad Mahrez and ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson similarly left England for Saudi Arabia.

After reporting for international duty with Brazil, Neymar explained that the quality of talent in Saudi’s top flight makes it a difficult league to compete in.

“I assure you that football is the same there. The ball is round, there is a goal. Because of the names that have gone to the Saudi league… I don’t know if it’s better than the French one,” Neymar said.

The Brazilian (left) played for PSG for six years but insists he ‘don’t know’ whether the Saudi Pro League is more competitive than playing in France

‘The pace of training is intense, the urge to win is strong. I want to win titles with Al-Hilal.

‘Nothing changes in my mind. People say that the championship is not well known, that it is weak… everyone said that when I went to the French championship and that this was the place that bothered me the most.

“It won’t be easy to win the Saudi championship because there are other teams that have gotten stronger, there are well-known players and I’m sure it’s going to be a very interesting competition and you’ll see that. said the Brazilian.

Neymar played in France for six years after arriving in Paris in 2017 on a world record £198 million contract from Barcelona and decided to devote time to his career in the country after plans were made from Saudi Arabia.

He still had a four-year contract with PSG, but sought a new challenge in the Middle East and signed a two-year deal with Al-Hilal, reportedly worth £130 million a year.

Riyad Mahrez was one of the league’s biggest signings after leaving Treble winners Man City for Saudi Arabia

Neymar joins several big names in the Saudi top flight, with Cristiano Ronaldo one of the most high-profile players (right)

The Brazilian is still waiting for his Al-Hilal debut as he continues to recover from an ankle injury

However, his fresh start in a new environment was beset by injury concerns that also plagued large parts of his PSG career.

The 31-year-old is still awaiting his debut as he recovers from an ankle injury that has plagued him for the past six months, yet was selected for the Brazil national team.

But Al-Hilal continued to shine in his absence, as Jorge Jesus’ side topped the league table and were unbeaten in their opening five league games, while former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic continued to impress in attack.

Neymar is expected to be fit to make his Saudi debut shortly after admitting he was almost available before the international break.