Brazil star Vinicius Junior’s entourage has reportedly rejected claims the winger is close to signing a new contract with Real Madrid.
The menacing spectre of Saudi Arabia has left Madrid sweating over Vinicius’ future.
He has two years remaining on his contract and has been promised an unfathomable wage to make the move to the Middle East – something which, as it stands, he has not been willing to entertain.
It was widely reported earlier this week that Madrid had finally rebuffed the Saudi interest and were closing in on an agreement over a new contract with Vinicius, which would have tied him to the Bernabeu outfit for the remainder of the decade.
Now, however, The Athletic reveals claims from Vinicius’ representatives denying that there has even been progress in negotiations.
Vinicius rejected a contract earlier this year and countered with his demands, which were not met positively by Madrid. This latest report states the club has not yet returned with a fresh proposal.
The interest from Saudi Arabia remains but is not expected to lead to anything concrete, and Vinicius is said to be relaxed about the situation, well aware that he still has two years remaining on his current deal and his negotiating power will only grow as that contract winds down.
The winger’s entourage are waiting for Madrid to make the next move, which, despite reports suggesting otherwise, has yet to arrive.
Central to the disagreement between Madrid in Vinicius is believed to be the player’s wage demands. While Kylian Mbappe takes home a base salary close to his €15m, it has been claimed that Vinicius wants more to make up for a €40m signing bonus factored into the Frenchman’s pay packet.
