Mohamed Salah lined up as dream Neymar replacement at Al Hilal | OneFootball

Reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal have lined Mohamed Salah up as the ideal replacement for Neymar, who could be reunited with his former Barcelona colleagues at Inter Miami, according to a report.

Neymar's eye-wateringly expensive move to Saudi Arabia has emphatically not paid off. After leaving Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of around €90m (£78m) in 2023, the Brazilian has only been fit for seven competitive fixtures. Neymar's contract expires in the summer - although there is the option for a year's extension - and Al Hilal are thought to be planning for his departure.

Liverpool's Salah has been identified as the ideal star name to replace the outgoing Brazilian, according to the Spanish publication AS.

Much like Neymar, Salah is set to become a free agent in July and can already begin negotiating a free transfer. The 32-year-old is enjoying the best form of his Premier League career, but has repeatedly stressed that this is his "last year" at Liverpool based on the current state of contract negotiations.

The futures of Mohamed Salah (left) and Neymar could be intertwined in the summer / VI-Images/GettyImages

While a glut of European clubs, such as PSG and Barcelona, have been floated as potential destinations for Salah, the Saudi Pro League have retained a long-running interest in snapping up the Egyptian star.

Hafez Al Medlej, the former head of the league's marketing and finance company and a prominent figure within the Asian Football Confederation, has previously said: "We must start working on the signing of Mohamed Salah because he is overwhelmingly popular in the Arab world and in Europe." Fans of Al Hilal's rivals Al Ittihad have even been seen wearing masks of Salah during matches.

While Salah's destination next season - which could still be Liverpool - remains uncertain, Neymar has been heavily linked with a move to Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami, where he can be reunited with a glut of former Barcelona teammates.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar formed one of the most potent attacking trios in modern football history. The triumvirate scored 122 goals between them while leading Barcelona to a European treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League in 2014/15.

In an interview with CNN this week, Neymar admitted: "Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible. They are my friends, we still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I'm happy at Al Hilal, I'm happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."