Real Madrid bids 150 million euros for Vinicius, but contract extension collapse triggers competition among wealthy clubs

According to Sky Sports transfer expert Sasha Tavoleri, Real Madrid has pushed Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior into the transfer market and has priced the star at 150 million euros. This decision stems from the fact that negotiations between the two parties on contract renewal have completely broken down.

The club's board of directors is preparing to approve the sale as early as the summer of 2026. Although head coach Xabi Alonso's team still needs to fight on multiple fronts this season, Vinicius's long-term future at Real Madrid has come to an end.

01 Fatal differences in contract extension negotiations

The contract extension tug-of-war between Vinicius and Real Madrid has been going on for several months. The Brazil international's current contract expires in June 2027, and Real Madrid started the renewal process as early as February this year.

The two sides were once close to reaching an agreement, but salary requirements became an insurmountable obstacle.

Vinicius hopes to increase the fixed annual salary to 20 million euros, and through additional terms, the total income can reach a maximum of 30 million euros. This means a maximum salary that is almost the same as Mbappe.

Real Madrid’s final offer was only a fixed annual salary of 20 million euros, which did not include the additional 10 million euros in bonuses expected by the player team.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez resolutely refused to meet Vinicius' salary demands. The club was unwilling to allow any player to earn more than Mbappe, a stance that eventually led to negotiations on the rocks.

02 Tensions rise

The relationship between Vinicius and new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has become the focus of Spanish media. The Brazilian striker's performances and playing time under Alonso have attracted attention this season.

In some important games, Alonso's decision to replace Vinicius early caused dissatisfaction among the players. This tension further intensified after the El Clasico.

According to media reports, Vinicius was forced to publicly apologize to his teammates and coach Alonso after the last El Clasico. This incident further worsened the atmosphere in the locker room.

A source close to Real Madrid's locker room revealed that the situation within the club has become very tense, and even bluntly said that "it is difficult to imagine that Vinicius will stay at Real Madrid next season."

03 Saudi Arabia’s sky-high price temptation

Although Manchester City is paying close attention to Vinicius’s situation, Saudi Arabia is currently regarded as the most likely destination.

Saudi Arabia has been interested in Vinicius for more than a year. They have adopted a patient strategy but firmly hope to sign the Brazilian international within three years.

According to talkSPORT, Saudi Arabia is even preparing to make a world-record offer of 350 million euros to Real Madrid for Vinicius.

This figure will exceed the 200 million pounds paid by Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar in 2017, reshaping the transfer market structure of world football.

What is even more astonishing is the personal contract. Saudi Arabia has submitted a written non-binding offer to Vinicius: a huge contract with a period of 5 years and a total value of about 1 billion euros.

04 Manchester City's alternative

Despite the menacing Saudi Arabia, Manchester City is also paying close attention to Vinicius's movements. Guardiola has always admired the Brazilian's explosiveness, technical ability and versatility in the frontcourt.

Manchester City will be one of the few European clubs with the financial resources to meet Real Madrid's asking price of 150 million euros.

The potential partnership of Vinicius and Haaland is very attractive to Manchester City. Manchester City really need to inject new energy into the wings, and at 25 years old, Vinicius is in his prime.

However, Manchester City rarely breaks the salary structure for individual players, which is in sharp contrast to Saudi clubs that can offer sky-high contracts.

If Vinicius ultimately chooses Saudi Arabia instead of the Premier League, he will follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Neymar and head to the Middle East to start a new chapter in his career.

The breakdown in the relationship between Real Madrid and Vinicius is emblematic of the increasingly obvious polarization in modern football. On the one hand, there are the salary structure restrictions of Europe's top clubs, and on the other hand, there is the unlimited temptation of the Saudi league's gold and dollar offensive.

In the summer of 2026, when Vinicius may leave the Bernabeu for 150 million euros, the economic order of the football world will be tested again.