Neymar debt eased as former Santos prospects hand club financial lifeline | OneFootball

Santos are leaning on revenue from former academy players to soften a cash squeeze and service debts, including to Neymar's family firm NR Sports. According to Globo.com, part of the Luca Meirelles fee has already been used to ease the burden.

The club applied R$ 8.5 million from last August's sale of the 18-year-old to Shakhtar Donetsk to pay image rights owed to NR Sports, with the transfer income arriving in instalments.

Marcos Leonardo left in 2024 for Benfica, later moved via Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia, and has now joined Ajax. As his training club from ages 12 to 20, Santos are estimated to receive €700,000 immediately, about R$ 4 million, via solidarity.

Another academy graduate, Caio Henrique, is also set to play for Ajax, having been at Santos from 12 to 18, and could yield around €250,000, roughly R$ 1 million.

These slices should at least help maintain cash flow. Santos remain under a transfer ban tied to the Jean Lucas deal from Monaco, a R$ 12 million debt. Separate to that, nearly R$ 90 million is still owed to NR Sports, and the club aim to settle two months of image rights to players by 31 July, with CLT salaries up to date.

Source: Globo.com