Saudi Arabia see Vinicius Jr as top target for winter market

Saudi Arabia’s powerful football scene continues to tempt Vinicius. In terms of sporting success, the Brazilian has little else to prove, as he currently plays for the reigning LaLiga and Champions League champions and is a top contender for the upcoming Ballon d’Or award.

However, financially, the story is different: the Middle Eastern country has successfully lured top stars in their prime with lucrative offers and now has its sights set on Vinicius.

This past summer, Saudi Arabia’s interest in the winger was already leaked, with AS reporting that a meeting had taken place between Real Madrid’s general director, José Ángel Sánchez, and the player’s representatives. During this meeting, Sánchez referenced Vinicius’ €1 billion release clause.

Could Vinicius Jr leave Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia?

Earlier in the year, members of Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Investment Fund approached the player’s entourage. While Vinicius expressed his happiness at Real Madrid and his desire to stay, he was reportedly open to hearing their offer.

Saudi Arabia, however, had no intention of paying the €1 billion clause but was considering a record offer of around €400 million. For Vinicius’ salary, they proposed the most lucrative contract in sports history, reportedly open to offering the player a salary of almost €1 billion over five years.

In the end, nothing materialised. Real Madrid refused to entertain offers, and despite Vinicius’ openness to listen, he never pushed to leave the Spanish capital.

‘We were aiming to bring in a top-level winger like Vinicius’

It has since been revealed that Al-Ahli, based in Jeddah, a club that owns players like Mahrez, Firmino, Kessié, and Gabri Veiga, was the main side interested in completing a deal for the Brazilian. The club’s director, Khaled Al Issa, admitted in an interview with Koora Rotana that Al-Ahli made the attempt after Allan Saint-Maximin’s transfer to Fenerbahçe.

“We were aiming to bring in a top-level winger like Vinicius, but during negotiations, something unexpected happened. Saudi players turned professional through the scholarship program, so Al Braikan became a professional, which changed our priority to signing a striker. We then entered talks with Toney and Osimhen,” Al Issa explained. Eventually, Brentford’s Ivan Toney was the chosen one, joining for around €52 million.

However the story is not over: Al Issa hinted that the club’s interest in signing a world-class winger—Vinicius being the top target—remains. He even suggested the pursuit might resume soon, stating, “God willing, in the winter, we will sign a winger who will exceed expectations.”

Vinicius remains a top target in Saudi Arabia’s ambition to elevate its football to the elite level. For now, though, he will visit the country at least once this season for the Spanish Super Cup in January 2025, with Saudi Arabia also a potential host for the Intercontinental Cup.