When the possibility of Vinicius Junior leaving Real Madrid was first mentioned as a serious scenario, his potential destination was not English "giants" like Manchester City or Chelsea, nor a European super club like PSG. Instead, the name mentioned was Saudi Pro League.
In August 2024, Spanish media reported for the first time that Saudi Arabia had approached Vinicius. Notably, the Brazilian star did not immediately refuse but seriously considered the offer. The figure given at that time was shocking - a salary of up to 350 million Euros per year.
Real Madrid - the team that just witnessed Vinicius shine brightly in the 2024 Champions League final and considers him a top candidate for the Golden Ball title - completely does not want to lose their number one star. The Royal Spanish team's board of directors cited the contract release clause worth 1 billion Euro as a tough message.
By January 2025, interest from Saudi Arabia still exists. A representative of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) contacted Vinicius about a month earlier to maintain relations and closely monitor the situation.
However, entering April, initial contacts were no longer resumed. The key figure on Saudi Arabia's side in the negotiation process - Saad Al Lazeez - has left his position in the Saudi Pro League. In parallel, Real Madrid began to promote contract extension negotiations with the Brazilian striker.
According to sources, the choice to move to Saudi Arabia is not Vinicius's priority from a professional perspective. His ability to reach SPL is therefore becoming increasingly distant.
If excluding Saudi Arabian clubs, only the top Premier League or Paris Saint-Germain teams have enough financial potential and sports ambition to meet Vinicius's requirements. The 24-year-old star is especially highly appreciated in England, especially after his impressive performances against Manchester City and Liverpool in the Champions League in recent seasons.
However, when Vinicius was contacted by Chelsea earlier this month, close sources confirmed that there was no contact between the two sides.
The situation of the Brazilian player continues to change rapidly after major fluctuations at the Bernabeu stadium. The dismissal of coach Xabi Alonso after 7 months of coaching has opened a new turning point for Vinicius.
Once pushed to the sidelines under Alonso, he now receives absolute trust from his successor. "We just need to take care of him and make Vinicius always happy. Because everyone knows that when he is happy, Vinicius is so dangerous" - Acting coach Arbeloa said.
One of the main reasons for Alonso's job loss is said to be his handling of Vinicius's case, which Real Madrid's leadership believes has seriously affected the contract extension process. With Alonso's departure, all conditions are gradually being set for a period of revival. That is Vinicius's more stable performance under Arbeloa and greater determination from Los Blancos in the new contract.
The excellent performance at the recent Champions League, where Vinicius won the Player of the Match (MVP), is considered an important step forward. His agent - Fred Pena, CEO of Roc Nation Brazil and the central figure in the contract negotiations - is also present in the stands to watch live.
Last year was really difficult for me. I couldn't play the way I wanted. I wanted to stick with Real Madrid for a long time. Many rumors appeared because I only had one year left on my contract.
But we are very calm. I trust President Perez, and he also trusts me. Everything will be resolved at the right time. We are not in a hurry" - Vinicius shared.
