Vinicius Junior will be given the opportunity to become the world’s most expensive player this summer, with the Real Madrid forward to make the final decision on a £200 million move to Saudi Arabia.
The Brazil international, 24, is a concrete target for the Saudi Pro League with early talks taking place over a move during the next window, when his contract at the Santiago Bernabéu will be in its final two years.
He will be offered a chance to move to one of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) clubs in Saudi Arabia, with his team to be decided if a deal can be agreed. According to sources, he will command a fee that matches the £200 million that Paris St-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar in 2017. The package for a potential deal means it could be the most lucrative in football history.
While Real Madrid have no desire to lose Vinicius, who has helped them win three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, having less than 24 months left on his deal means his market value will start to decrease from next season onwards if he stays in Spain. The Saudi deal is expected to go through if the player gives the move the green light.
Vinicius has endured horrendous racist abuse during his seven years in Spain since moving from Flamengo in his homeland, with the forward breaking down in tears when talking about his treatment from fans.
“I just want to play football but it’s hard to move forward… I feel less and less like playing. It never crossed my mind [to leave Spain] because if I leave Spain I give the racists exactly what they want,” he said last year. However, the Saudi interest will give him a decision to make in the summer when an offer is made.
While the Saudi destination for Vinicius is yet to be decided, Al-Hilal would make sense as a potential club. King Saud bin Abdulaziz renamed the club in 1958 and they are the most decorated team in the SPL. Al-Hilal have also qualified for the Club World Cup in America this summer, where they will face Real in the group stages.
