Vini Junior open to Saudi Arabia’s €1 billion offer, sources say

Real Madrid and Brazil forward Vinicius Junior is open to a bid worth more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) from Saudi Arabia, sources close to the player told Reuters on Monday.

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Vinicius, 24, was approached by officials from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to gauge his interest in a move to the Saudi Pro League, the official name of the Saudi Premier League, on a five-year contract receiving a fixed fee of 200 million euros per season, plus bonuses.

The package would also include a separate 10-year contract to become an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup, which is due to be held in the country, but those terms and the financials have not yet been discussed.

Although an official and formal proposal has not yet been presented, Vinicius has not ruled out the transfer and has given permission for the PIF to approach Real Madrid.

Despite being “happy and motivated” in the Spanish capital, Vinicius and his representatives believe that a lucrative proposal like this needs to be studied carefully.

Another source close to the player said Real Madrid had shown no interest in negotiating a transfer, highlighting the €1 billion release clause in the player’s contract.

Real Madrid and the PIF did not respond to requests for comment.

Obsessed with being taken seriously as a football force, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced a project to privatize and invest in sports clubs, with the PIF holding 75% of the capital of the country’s four main clubs: Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.

Saudi Arabia’s biggest transfer was from the country’s most successful club, Al-Hilal, who spent €90 million to buy striker Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.

With Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, the PIF tried to convince France captain Kylian Mbappé to be the big name Al-Ahli still lacks last year.

The striker, however, turned down the lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia and moved to Real Madrid in June.

It is understood that the proposal for Vinicius is similar to that for Mbappe. The Brazilian would be signed by Al-Ahli and would join former English Premier League players Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino.

Vinicius, who has a contract until 2027 after signing an extension in 2022, is in contention for the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga last season.