Manchester United is reportedly eyeing a move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, who has hinted in the past that a return to Flamengo could be his preferred path out of the Bernabeu.
Vinicius initially kickstarted his career with the Rio de Janeiro team before making the transition to Madrid on his 18th birthday.
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With an impressive record of 68 goals for Los Blancos, including more than 20 in each of the last two seasons, he secured the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final.
Currently tied to a contract in Spain until 2027, there is no immediate pressure for Real Madrid to offload the talented forward.
However, the potential arrival of Kylian Mbappe, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer, might prompt the club to consider financial adjustments.
Manchester United is rumored to be preparing a £130m bid, marking a significant move in what could be a noteworthy summer transfer window following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement with the club.
It’s worth noting that any such deal would necessitate a reversal of Vinicius’s previous statements, as he had indicated that a return to his homeland would be the sole scenario prompting his departure from his current club.
“I think I could stay here my whole career, but the club of my life is Flamengo,” the attacker said in an interview with France Football and L’Equipe last year (via the Manchester Evening News). “I promised my father I would go back one day. I have to keep this promise.
“I love life here in general, and it’s going well for my family too. When my loved ones walk around, they are recognised and they wish us nothing but happiness.
“Little by little, I discovered this new life, new emotions, a fervour… Madrid is unique. Everyone around the world tells me about this club. And apart from that, I like it. I’m quite a homebody but we do a lot of activities.”
The existing transfer record for Manchester United stands at just below £90m, representing the sum they spent on acquiring Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016.
Recent reports suggest that a move for Vinicius would require a fee of £130m; however, there is skepticism regarding the feasibility of such a significant transfer.
Gary Lineker, the host of Match of the Day, dismissed the speculations with laughter, a sentiment echoed by several of his social media followers.
“And I want a toilet made of gold!” joked one, with another saying “I want a Bentley.. guess what, neither will happen.”
A third described the links as “laughable”. “Every club in the world would love to sign Vinicius Jr, but none of them would be able to get him from Madrid, especially how much they’d probably want for him!” they added.
