The 32-year-old Brazil international is expected to sign a short-term deal at the club where he began his career.

The termination of his contract at Al-Hilal was considered the biggest step, according to sources close to Neymar.

It ends an injury-hit spell in Saudi Arabia, where he played just seven times for the club he joined in a £77.6m deal in August 2023.

The attacker made two appearances this season, most recently a substitute in November.

Al Hilal said: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”

Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire also attempted to bring Neymar to the United States but he turned them down in favour of returning to Santos.

Fire had Neymar on their ‘discovery list’, meaning they were the only MLS team able to negotiate with him in the US.

Inter Miami had also been linked with reuniting Neymar with his former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Neymar remains the world’s most expensive footballer after his £200m move to Paris St-Germain in 2017.

Neymar had around seven months remaining on his contract, having joined Al-Hilal on a two-year deal with a reported wage of 150m euros (£129.2m) a year.

He joined claiming he wanted to “write new sporting history” but had a prolonged spell on the sidelines after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023.

He returned in October last year and although he played down an apparent hamstring issue in his second match back, he has not featured since.

Neymar came through the famed youth system at Santos, where he scored 136 goals in 225 games, before a high-profile move to Barcelona in 2013.

He made 186 appearances across four seasons in Spain, winning two La Liga titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup before his world-record move to PSG as a 25-year-old.

In Paris he won five league titles prior to his move to Saudi Arabia.

Shortly after the move he overtook Pele to become Brazil’s all-time leading male goalscorer with 78 goals, but has not played for his country since his initial knee injury in 2023.

Oliver red-carded Gunners defender Myles Lewis-Skelly after he caught opposing defender Matt Doherty above the ankle to break up a counter-attack just outside the Wolves box in the 43rd minute.

The decision was upheld by Darren England, who was the video assistant referee (VAR) for the game at Molineux.

“We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver,” said referees’ body PGMOL.

“No official should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone the abhorrent attacks aimed at Michael and his family over the past 24 hours.

The statement added that “a number of investigations have commenced”.

“We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour.”

The Premier League said it “strongly condemns the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver”.

It added: “No official should be subject to any form of abuse. We will continue to support Michael, PGMOL and all investigations.”

Oliver also dismissed Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes later in the match before Riccardo Calafiori scored Arsenal’s winner with the only goal of the game.

After the match, Arsenal manager Arteta told BBC Match of the Day the decision to send off Lewis-Skelly was “so obvious that today you don’t need my words”.

The decision was also criticised by former officials and pundits.

“Sadly, this is not the first time a match official has been forced to deal with threats in recent times,” added the PGMOL.

“We will continue to support all investigations.”

The 25-year-old has agreed a contract until June 2029, with add-ons rising to £4m.

Marmoush has scored 15 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season, second only to England captain Harry Kane’s 16 for Bayern Munich.

“Manchester City is one of the biggest clubs in the world over the past 10 years, so it was not a question,” Marmoush said.

“It’s a pleasure and an honour for me and my family to be representing Manchester City. It makes them happy; it makes me happy that my dreams are becoming a reality.

“The last two seasons have been great, but it is just the beginning for me.”

City have also signed 19-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for £30m and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for £34m in the January transfer window.

Marmoush, who has played as a striker, a number 10 and a winger, said: “On the pitch I am fast, good on the ball, I try to see where the spaces are and exploit the spaces – and I’m dangerous.

“My main strength I would say is that I always want to win – that is from a character point of view.”

City director of football Txiki Begiristain said Marmoush has “outstanding pace and awareness” and that his versatility is a “really valuable asset”.

Marmoush began his career with Wadi Degla in the Egyptian Premier League, before signing for VfL Wolfsburg in 2020.

He had loan spells at FC St Pauli and VfB Stuttgart before his 2023 move to Frankfurt, for whom he scored 37 goals and made 20 assists in 67 games.

The 25-year-old Real Madrid forward has 86 caps for France, helped them win the World Cup in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final defeat by Argentina.

He is also their captain, yet Mbappe was omitted from the France squad in October as a precaution after returning from injury – and then again the following month for no clear reason.

“The French team has always been the highest rank in football, it’s the national team. I’ve always said there’s nothing more important. My love for the French team hasn’t changed,” Mbappe told Canal+.

“You serve your country and that’s it.”

Mbappe has scored 48 goals for his country, but he managed only one competitive goal in 2024. He endured a difficult Euro 2024 as he played much of the tournament with a broken nose.

France head coach Didier Deschamps said the decision to omit Mbappe for November’s Nations League games was a “one-off”.

Mbappe said: “I can’t talk about November because it was a decision from the coach and I’ll get behind what he said.

“I fully respect his decision because he is the boss. I wanted to go but I can’t say why.”

Mbappe has yet to find his best form for Real Madrid following his free transfer summer move from Paris St-Germain.

However, he has still netted 11 goals in 21 games for the Spanish giants.

The lack of down time for top footballers will again be in the spotlight when Fifa stages an expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States next summer.Mbappe will be involved in that, and the regular World Cup follows in the summer of 2026.Leagues, national associations and player unions have voiced major misgivings about the busy calendar, and Mbappe suggested it is inevitable that players will become weary.”In the NBA [National Basketball Association], they get four months off,” said Mbappe.”We get two weeks. And in the second week, we’re already back to running. It’s not a vacation.”I was tired [at Euro 2024]. I wanted to stay because you give everything for the French team but it was exhausting.”

City lost five games in a row before squandering a three-goal lead from the 75th minute to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The longest winless streak in Guardiola’s coaching career could be extended on Sunday when City plays away to Liverpool, who are in first place in the Premier League and the Champions League.

“I ask for that challenge. I ask for this opportunity to do it. Because I feel it. I know what I want to do. I know what we need. I know what we have to do,” Guardiola said.

For sure, I want to stay here, I want to do it, but the moment I feel I’m not positive for the club, another one will come. But I want the opportunity to try. I don’t want to run away. I want to be there. I want to rebuild the team.

“It’s not normal in the big clubs to have the results we have had, but what we have to do is accept it. ”

Guardiola, who has won the Premier League six times in his eight full seasons with City, as well as the club’s first Champions League title, said he is in regular communication with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“He knows we are going to find a solution,” Guardiola said. “In the circumstances that it doesn’t happen, the club will take the solution, the decision, it has to take.”

The Spanish coach said he deserved to be given time to turn things around. “I have it all on my shoulders. I want it,” he said. “Here at the football club you have to win — if you don’t win, you’ll be in trouble. I know that.

“People said, ‘Oh, why is Pep not in trouble? Why is he not sacked?’ What we have done the last eight years is why we have this margin.”

Guardiola played down talk of a “crisis” at City when asked by a reporter, but was unsure when the team would start winning again.

After Liverpool, City plays seventh-place Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

“We will be back — I know that,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know when, that is the truth.“We have to accept,” he added, “that it is completely normal — maybe the exception was in the past, not what happened now. How we stand up again, this is the big success in life. It’s how many times you stand up, again, and again, and again, whatever happens. They are the greatest [people].”

Liverpool continued their incredible start to life under Arne Slot with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday to move back to the top of the Champions League table.

The Reds are also streaking clear at the top of the Premier League, eight points ahead of City, who are suffering from the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury.

Slot is confident Guardiola will turn their fortunes around, but is hoping it will not come in time for the top-of-the-table clash.

“One of the reasons why I think Guardiola is the best manager in the world is that he always comes up with solutions for his problems,” Slot said at his pre-match news conference on Thursday.

“His problem now might be that Rodri is out, but we all know, I think, that he will come up with a solution and the run of form will go again. Hopefully, after Sunday.

“I think he was the one who started playing the inverted full-back, then he was the one that started to play the centre-back as a number six. So I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone if he again comes up with something no one has ever thought about before to make his team even stronger.”

All three previous sides to enjoy at least an eight-point lead after 12 Premier League matches went on to win the title.

Liverpool have won the league just once since 1990 and have missed out twice in recent seasons to City by a single point as Guardiola’s men have racked up six of the last seven titles.

Slot refused to buy into the idea that the defending champions are there for the taking when asked if City’s slump has made Liverpool’s task easier in the title race.

“I don’t think anyone in the last eight or nine years, or maybe even longer, would have said that City, home or away, that the word ‘easy’ ever comes to mind.”

Liverpool’s latest statement win, to defeat Madrid for the first time in nine meetings, came at a cost.

Defenders Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are doubtful for the weekend after suffering injuries late in the game.

“It’s never a good sign if, in Conor’s case, we had to take him off and Ibou couldn’t walk off the pitch as he should after such a fantastic game that he played,” added Slot.

However, the Dutchman confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold would be fit enough to replace Bradley if necessary.

City could hand a start to defender Ruben Dias, who returned to the bench for Tuesday’s game.

John Stones remains a doubt having missed the Feyenoord match while Mateo Kovacic, Rodri and Oscar Bobb remain absent.

Head-to-headThis is the 197th meeting between the clubs, with Liverpool winning 93 of the encounters and City claiming the spoils on 50 occasions. While the last two matches, both in the Premier League last season, ended in draws, the Reds have not won in the last four, with City winning the two games prior to that. Their last win was at Anfield in October 2022 when Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game to mark the third consecutive win for his side against City, and their fifth consecutive unbeaten match between the two sides.