Real Madrid told ‘it’s only a matter of time’ before Vinicius Jr makes shock move to Saudi Arabia

Real Madrid have been told it is 'only a matter of time' before Vinicius Jr. makes a shock move to Saudi Arabia amid interest from several clubs.

Club interest is 'still active' according to reports from ESPN, which also revealed that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) contacted the striker's representatives last month about a possible move for the Brazilian star.

The Saudi PIF, which controls Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Hilal, contacted Vinícius' team in December about a possible move.

However, any potential move for the 24-year-old would come with a huge price tag, due to the presence of a €1 billion release clause in his current contract, which runs until 2027.

Vinicius has been in good form for Los Blancos so far this season, with eight goals and five assists in 15 LaLiga appearances.

He has also scored five times in the Spanish team's six group stage matches so far.

Vinicius, winner of last year's FIFA The Best Men's Player Award, finished as runner-up for the 2024 Men's Ballon d'Or after playing a crucial role in Madrid's march to the La Liga double last season and the Champions League.

However, the current UEFA Champions League holders face a battle to automatically qualify for the top eight after defeats to Liverpool, Milan and Lille.

They return to action in Europe on Wednesday evening, welcoming RB Salzburg to the Santiago Bernabeu before concluding their campaign with a trip to surprise high-flyer Brest on January 29.

The reigning LaLiga champions regained top spot after taking advantage of Atletico Madrid's surprise 1-0 defeat to Leganes after a 4-1 thrashing of Las Palmas.

The news of a possible move to Saudi Arabia comes after Vinicius Jr. reignited his long-standing feud with Mallorca star Pablo Maffeo when the pair met in the Spanish Super Cup on January 9.

The Real Madrid superstar and the defender have a history, having first clashed during a meeting in the 2021/22 season when Los Blancos faced their LaLiga counterparts.

The Brazil international faced a tough challenge from Maffeo and although the pair were thought to have reconciled, tempers flared during the cup tie as Carlo Ancelotti's side claimed a 3-0 victory.

It took just ten minutes for the contact paper to ignite between the two, after Maffeo tried to throw the striker off balance with some early, overzealous man-marking.

In an attempt to fend him off, Vinicius waved a hand at the defender's chest, prompting him to go to the ground in an attempt to commit a foul.

While Vinicius' side gained the upper hand over Mallorca, giving Maffeo the last laugh, they would be defeated 5-2 by their arch-rivals Barcelona in the final of the competition.

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