Amid speculation about Neymar's future, with his Santos contract set to expire at the end of the year, ESPN reported, based on sources linked to Chicago Fire, that the club had shown interest in the player in the recent period. Internally, the franchise views the failure to sign the 33-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder as a relief, believing he would have been a headache for not being able to deliver as expected on the field. According to ESPN's reporting, this view is shared by many elite North American clubs, whose scouts and directors are reportedly unenthusiastic about a potential high investment in Neymar, questioning his ability to perform consistently. The player has 79 goals in 128 appearances for Brazil. According to Transfermarkt, he has a market value of €11.00m, and he has also been recently linked with Inter Miami, Inter, and Napoli.