After months of speculation, Neymar is finally set to end his underwhelming spell with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. The Brazilian has made only a handful of appearances during an injury-struck 18 months with the club and is reportedly ready to make a loan move away.

Local media reports that Neymar is close to agreeing a deal to return to Santos, his first club in homeland Brazil. The 32-year-old spent a decade with the club across the youth and senior teams, going on to lead the team to its first Copa Libertadores success in nearly 50 years.

Neymar has six months remaining on his lucrative Al Hilal contract and could join Santos on a loan deal to cover the remainder of that time. Santos have reportedly submitted a formal loan proposal and are expecting the Saudi club to sanction the move.

Injuries have restricted Neymar to just seven appearances with Al Hilal across a year and a half with the team. Having committed $98 million on a transfer fee and a further $107 million per year on salary, Neymar’s on-field performances have fallen some way short of justifying a $300 million outlay.

A return to Santos would be a romantic move for a player who lifted the team to new heights in the early years of his glittering career. Neymar made his Santos debut in 2009 at the age of 17 and quickly became the focal point of the attack, scoring 14 goals across his first full season. By 2012, at the age of 20, Neymar had already scored 100 goals and it was clear that a move to one European soccer’s elite clubs was beckoning.

His struggles in Saudi Arabia have seen Neymar slip from prominence in the minds of many soccer fans but he remains an elite talent with the ability to do something special on his return to Santos. If he is able to recapture a little of the form from his first spell at the club, Neymar’s homecoming could provide a fitting coda to a stellar career.