Al Hilal’s Neymar says Saudi Pro League ‘very competitive’ with roster of new players

The Saudi Pro League is going to be “very competitive” with its roster of new players, iconic footballer Neymar Jr said in his first interview since joining Al Hilal.

“The league will be very competitive, especially after the signings made in the summer transfer window. I believe competitiveness is important. That’s why I am joining this league,” he said.

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The footballer is excited to meet and play against players on the other teams, saying it “thrills [me], and motivates [me] to play even better.”

Neymar Jr signs with Al Hilal. (Supplied)

The player transferred from the Paris St Germain on a two-year deal for a fee of about $98.24 million, plus add-ons.

Neymar Jr, who also played for Barcelona and Santos, is the latest big name to join the Rosh Saudi League – following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and many more international stars.

“I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him “crazy”, and this and that. Today you see the league grow more and more,” the Brazilian superstar said.

Neymar Jr signs with Al Hilal. (Supplied)

“I am happy to join this league, facing them will be wonderful, it will be fantastic.”

As Brazil captain and joint-top scorer for the national team, Neymar also said he was confident his country’s many football fans will tune in to watch the league.

Neymar Jr will team up with Ruben Neves of Portugal, Serbia’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly of Senegal for Al Hilal.

They will play alongside a large number of players from the Saudi national squad, including Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari, the two goal scorers in the 2-1 FIFA World Cup match in which they beat eventual champions Argentina.

“I am very excited to write a new story chasing all the objectives with the club and my teammates – winning more and more titles and fulfilling the club’s ambition. I am very excited in that regard,” Neymar Jr said.

The superstar’s addition is just another step towards the Saudi Pro League’s goal of becoming one of football’s leading destinations.

Saudi Arabia launched a new league strategy which will continue to see numerous high-profile signings that will bring together international stars with Saudi talent in a highly competitive league.

Sports fans can watch action of the Roshn Saudi League unfold from across the world after it secured a network of international broadcast deals across over 130 territories for the new season.

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