MADRID: Real Madrid are close to agreeing a contract extension for Vinicius Junior after talks began in January following interest from Saudi Arabia to buy the FIFA World Player of the Year in a record-breaking deal, sources said yesterday.
Although the Brazilian forward’s current contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, the Spanish champions contacted the player’s agent last month to begin new negotiations, thus curbing Saudi interest that had been ongoing for more than a year.
Sources close to Vinicius said that despite several calls from Saudi Arabia showing interest in a move to Al-Ahly, a formal contract offer was never discussed and Saudi confidence has waned in recent months.
Real denied being contacted by the Saudi club but a source close to the Madrid club said they were approached by officials from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) during the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah earlier last month asking about Vinicius.
However, the European champions are not interested in negotiating a transfer, citing a €1 billion buyout clause as the only scenario they would allow the Brazilian to leave Madrid.
“I don’t know anything, nobody has spoken to me about it (the Saudi offer),” Vinicius told TNT Sports after Real’s 3-2 win at Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Tuesday.
“They need to talk to the (Real) president. I hope I can stay here for a little longer,” the player said after the match.
“It’s always exciting to be able to negotiate with Real Madrid about a contract renewal. I have a contract until 2027, but I always talk about my passion to play here for longer to be able to make history here.”
Real announced Vinicius’ final contract extension in October 2023, a four-year deal reportedly worth 13.5 million euros in terms of annual salary.
He opted for a shorter, incentive-based deal, compared to the five- to six-year contracts that most Real players typically sign.