Vinicius Jr To Saudi?

Vinícius Júnior is the latest player that the Saudi Pro League is interested in, according to a source who spoke to ESPN. The Real Madrid star is thinking about a possible move to Saudi Arabia.

Vinícius, who is 24 years old, was a key player for Real Madrid last season, helping them win both the Champions League and LaLiga. He is also one of the top contenders for this year’s Ballon d'Or, a prestigious football award.

There have been discussions between Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Real Madrid about the transfer, though Real Madrid does not want to lose the player. However, there hasn’t been an official offer for Vinícius yet.

Last season, Vinícius scored 24 goals across all competitions for Real Madrid. He has been an important player for the club since he joined in 2018 and has even scored in two Champions League finals.

The Saudi PIF owns 75% of the country’s four biggest football clubs: Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, and Al Nassr. They want Vinícius to be an ambassador for their bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

The Saudis have talked to Vinícius' representatives about offering him a yearly salary of up to €350 million ($382.5 million), and the player hasn’t rejected the idea yet.

Real Madrid would expect to receive Vinícius' buyout clause, which is €1 billion. His contract with the club runs until June 2027. However, the source close to Vinícius told ESPN that for the deal to happen, Real Madrid would need to accept a lower transfer fee than his release clause.