Vinicius Junior is reported to have turned down an approach from the Saudi Pro League in favour of chasing his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or with Real Madrid.
The winger has developed into one of the best players in the world over the past three seasons, having first agreed to a transfer to Madrid when he was just 16 – he then made the switch to Spain at 18.
But with the ambitious Saudi Pro League keen to keep promoting itself and attract higher calibre players at the peak of their career, the Brazilian star has been a target.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) controls the country’s four biggest clubs – Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr and Al Ahli – and The Athletic writes that a PIF delegate, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Sport, reached out to Vinicius’ representatives.
Their hope is to make the player the face of the Saudi Pro League in the build up to the 2034 World Cup, which is almost certain to be hosted in the gulf nation in ten years’ time. Hosting rights haven’t been officially dished out by FIFA, but Saudi Arabia’s bid stands uncontested.
However, Vinicius has knocked back the enquiry. He remains happy at Madrid, where he has a contract until 2027, while the club do not wish to sell. The 24-year-old also has a €1bn (£860m) release clause, although if Vinicius isn’t interested it’s rather moot even if it was to be triggered.
For now, he isn’t done with his ambitions in Europe and specifically with Real Madrid, which includes winning the Ballon d’Or while playing for the famous club. But Saudi Arabia aren’t expected to take no for an answer and are tipped to renew their interest in the future.
The Saudi Pro League has struggled to shake off labels of a so-called ‘retirement league’. Cristiano Ronaldo has seen his goalscoring skyrocket since moving there but will celebrate his 40th birthday this coming season. Neymar accepted the offer at the age of 31, as did Sadio Mane. Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante were 32, Karim Benzema was older still at 35, while other high profile signings – such as Franck Kessie, Ruben Neves and Aleksandar Mitrovic – don’t hit the ‘world class’ bracket.
In the summer of 2023, Al Hilal made a world record €300m bid for Kylian Mbappe, which Paris Saint-Germain gladly accepted, but the player refused to even meet with the club.
Saudi Arabia has spent enormous amounts of money trying to promote itself as a sporting hotbed, with Formula 1 races, WWE pay-per-views and various high profile UFC, boxing and tennis events held in recent years. LIV Golf has also been launched as a direct rival to the established PGA Tour.