Real Madrid are prepared to sell Vinicius Junior to the Saudi Pro League for a world record fee, the Transfers Podcast has learned.
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The 24-year-old is not entirely happy in Spanish football after the extensive racist abuse he has faced in various stadiums, although he rejected an initial Saudi approach during the summer.
Vinicius was offered a post-tax pay packet of up to €1 billion across the duration of a five-year stay in Saudi Arabia and it is known that Madrid were not entirely opposed to letting him go.
Real understand Vini’s unhappiness in LaLiga and expect Saudi Arabia to try again for his signature, although it would take a world record fee to convince the Spanish giants to sell, with the bar set at the €222 million fee paid by Paris Saint-Germain to Barca for Neymar back in 2017.
Football transfer news expert Duncan Castles has revealed on the Transfers Podcast, produced in conjunction with FootballTransfers, that the league has approached the Brazil international.
“Real Madrid are not actively trying to sell Vinicius,” Castles told the Transfers Podcast. “But they know that in terms of securing a high transfer fee, nobody is going to be able to outbid the Saudi Pro League.
“They also know these salary offers have been placed in front of the player and there’s been a degree of interest.
“If he accedes to that invitation, they’re prepared to sell them if they can get a fee commensurate with the kind of salary that’s being offered to Vinicius.
“And the trigger point is a world-record transfer fee exceeding the €222m that PSG paid for Neymar several seasons ago.
“Madrid believe that the move is still under consideration even though Vinicius said no in the summer window. They expect the Saudis to come back and try and convince the player to go.
“They know that the player isn’t entirely happy with Spanish football for very well-documented and well-understood reasons – the repeated racism.”
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© IMAGO – Neymar holds the transfer record
Saudi Pro League looking to replace Ronaldo with Vini as ‘face of the league’
Saudi Arabia is seeking to position Vinicius as the new face of their league in the near future when Cristiano Ronaldo eventually departs, with the Portugal legend’s occasional misbehaviour believed to be causing some tension in the Middle East.
Castles said: “We’ve seen over the last few months growing irritation, various points of conflict, various acts on the field or around the field that have been embarrassing to the league.
“And he’s there to promote the Saudi Pro League and he’s there to promote the country. So there’s a tension. If Cristiano Ronaldo is discontent with aspects of how Saudi football is organised and how his team are playing continues, then it does become problematic.”