Vinicius Junior‘s contract renewal has become a focal point since the Saudi Pro League expressed strong interest in signing him. With his current deal lasting until June 2027, reports suggest that the Brazilian star has already communicated his salary demands to Real Madrid, prompting questions about whether they will surpass those of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe’s signing in the summer raised eyebrows within the Real Madrid locker room. Despite agreeing to a salary around €15 million ($15.7M), similar to Vinicius’s, Mbappe’s free-agent status prompted the club to include additional bonuses totaling approximately €40 million ($42M). Given Vinicius’s growing interest from Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian forward is now reportedly pushing for a pay raise.
According to Toño García from Cadena SER, Vinicius has demanded Real Madrid a salary increase to over €25 million net of taxes. This amount, he argues, reflects his status as one of the top players in the world.
So far, the club and Vinicius have held two meetings. In the first, Vinicius’s camp rejected the initial offer from Real Madrid due to its relatively low financial terms. In the second, the club executives reportedly asked Vinicius’s agents to suggest a salary figure. While that figure has yet to be revealed, it is expected to exceed €25M. A third meeting is scheduled to further discuss the requested amount.
This offer would far surpass Kylian Mbappe’s €15M and Jude Bellingham’s €10M. Now, Real Madrid must decide whether to meet Vinicius’s demands—a decision that could cause discomfort in the locker room, considering Mbappe’s recent contract and Bellingham’s renewal, which is not even on the agenda yet.
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Real Madrid’s next power struggle? Jude Bellingham seeks to become highest-paid player ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius
Saudi Arabia applies pressure on Real Madrid
One of Real Madrid’s major challenges in negotiating Vinicius’s contract is the pressure from the Saudi Pro League, which is reportedly preparing an offer for the Brazilian that could shatter sports salary records, surpassing those of Cristiano Ronaldo, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto.
As reported by Cadena SER, while Vinicius has not engaged in talks with Saudi Arabian officials for nearly two months, they are preparing an offer for Vinicius to be the biggest on sports history. This pressure is reportedly starting to test Real Madrid’s resolve.
When asked about the ongoing rumors regarding Vinicius and the Saudi interest, coach Carlo Ancelotti responded: “I’m tired of the Vinicius Arabia topic, but I’m not worried. The player is happy here, and we are happy with him. There’s nothing more to add to what I said a few weeks ago. We don’t talk about that topic here,” he said on Friday’s press conference.
“He’s doing well, he’s motivated, and he made a difference against City under a lot of pressure. He wants to make history with Madrid. I’m not aware that the club is unhappy with him,” Ancelotti added, offering some relief to fans.
However, Real Madrid now faces a critical decision: secure Vinicius’s future, potentially create tension in the dressing room, or decide if they can afford such a significant investment. This will likely be addressed in their upcoming meeting next week.
