Vinicius Junior transfer: Saudi Pro League speculation takes fresh twist

Vinicius Junior leaving Real Madrid for the Saudi Pro League has been termed "increasingly unlikely", pointing towards a potential new contract for the Brazilian superstar at the Bernabeu.

Speculation that Vinicius Jr. could join Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest paid footballer in the world by taking an enormous contract in Saudi Arabia has been bubbling away for many months.

Bizarrely, there was never a named club after Vinicius Jr., with the transfer being pursued from a higher level. The four leading sides – Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – are all controlled by the country's sovereign wealth fund, although Al Hilal was the obvious candidate after losing Neymar.

But the proposed contract offer, after a world record €300m transfer fee, was said to be worth €1bn over five years – with a monthly salary more than many of Europe's top players are paid in a year.

At one stage, Vinicius Jr. was rumoured to be showing interest in the idea, having first spoken with Saudi Pro League representatives as early as 2023. But there were always concerns from the player about how it might look, keen to avoid accusations of simply chasing the money.

At the same time as this has been going, Real Madrid have been hoping to secure the reigning Best FIFA Men's Player to a new long-term contract.

ESPN report that due to no further contact between Vinicius Jr. and the Saudi Pro League, as well as talks with Real Madrid getting underway, that a move is not considered likely. The most recent discussion was in December 2024, with Saad Al Lazeez formerly the point of contact. But he stepped down from his role as the league's vice-chairman last month.

An initial contract offer from Real Madrid is thought to have been similar to the player's existing terms. It may be that a fresh proposal comes after the season is over, at which point there will be another two years on his contract and still no urgent rush over the next deal.

Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe, who turned down the riches of the Saudi Pro League in 2023 when Paris Saint-Germain accepted a world record transfer bid from Al Hilal, has recently revealed that he "can't imagine" the club without Vinicius Jr.

"The relationship [with Vini] is good. It's normal that people want to talk about us, because we're two famous players who can make a difference, but I came to Real Madrid with the idea of playing with Vini," Mbappe explained to La Sexta.

"I can't imagine Madrid without Vini. We play well together. We can always do better, the fans always expect more of us and it's normal, but I think we play well together and now at this stage of the season we're going to try to help Madrid as much as we can."

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