Vinicius Jr looks set to complete a transfer away from Real Madrid in the near future, with a deal reportedly just “a matter of time”.
Since arriving at the Bernabeu in 2018, Vinicius has developed into one of the best players in world football, winning multiple league titles and Champions Leagues while dominating from the left wing.
He missed out on winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri in acrimonious circumstances, though, while the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the Spanish capital has taken away some of his limelight in the team, too. Now, the 24-year-old looks set to depart Real Madrid.
Vinicius Jr moving to Saudi Arabia only a “matter of time”
Clubs in Saudi Arabia have been chasing the Brazilian for some time now, with a billion pound move touted in the last summer window. No move materialised, but that hasn’t stopped clubs from still showing their interest.
Now, Saudi Pro League CEO Omar Mugharbel has revealed that it’s a matter of when, not if, Vinicius moves to the Middle East. Speaking to Marca, he said that negotiations are needed to come to an agreement, while highlighting success stories from the league in recent times, too.
“We don’t have dreams, it’s a matter of time and negotiation,” Mugharbel said.
“Foreign players have always been part of Saudi teams,” he added. “In recent years, the number of possible foreign players in teams has changed. This season we have increased the number to eight, plus two other players who are under 21. It has always been in the DNA of this league to bring in players from outside to make it more attractive.
“What has changed massively, especially in the last two years, has been the quality of the players who come. Benzema, among others, create a bigger impact, both nationally and internationally.”
There’s an ambition that, by attracting some of the world’s best talent to Saudi Arabia, the league will become one of the most-watched in world football.
“What has also changed is the global interest in our league,” Mugharbel said. “It is broadcast in 160 countries, and you can watch a match from almost every part of the world. Our social media channels show content in different languages such as English, Portuguese, Mandarin… we are going to do it in more languages because there is a global interest. We want to offer our content to a global audience.”
