In a remarkable development reflecting the growing ambitions of Saudi football, reliable British journalist Ben Jacobs revealed serious strategic moves by the Public Investment Fund and Al-Ahli Saudi Club to sign Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, winger for Real Madrid, in a deal planned to be completed by the summer of 2026.
Details of the billion-dollar offer and early action
According to Jacobs' post on his X platform, Saudi sports decision-makers have placed Vinicius at the top of their priority list for the next phase. Reports indicate that Al-Ahli is the leading candidate to acquire the Brazilian talent, with astronomical figures circulating for a contract potentially worth up to one billion euros, including salaries, bonuses, and image rights, to persuade the player to leave the Santiago Bernabéu and embark on a new adventure in the Russian league.
The sources confirmed that the contacts between Saudi officials and the player’s representatives were not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but have been ongoing for more than a year, which confirms the seriousness of the project and the Kingdom’s desire to finalize this deal in the medium term, despite the player’s continued assurances of his loyalty to the Royal Club.
General context: A project to attract the global elite
This news comes amidst a massive sports project spearheaded by Saudi Arabia as part of its "Vision 2030" plan, which aims to make the Saudi league one of the top 10 leagues in the world. After successfully attracting legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, the strategy has now shifted towards targeting top-tier stars who are still at the peak of their careers, with Vinicius Junior being the perfect example of this new approach.
This qualitative shift in contracts aims to ensure the sustainability of competitiveness and raise the market value of the league, especially with the Kingdom’s readiness to host major sporting events in the future, most notably the 2034 World Cup, which requires the presence of high-caliber global ambassadors representing Saudi clubs.
Real Madrid's stance and the potential impact of the deal
On the other hand, Real Madrid faces a challenge in retaining its star player, as reports indicate that negotiations to extend Vinicius' contract have stalled and are currently frozen, opening the door to speculation. Despite Real Madrid's desire to secure the player's future, the massive financial offers coming from Saudi Arabia could put significant pressure on Florentino Perez's administration.
Al-Ahli’s success in completing this deal will not only be a sporting victory for the Jeddah club, but will also cause an earthquake in the global transfer market, reshaping the economic power balance in football, and confirming the ability of Saudi clubs to compete with Europe’s top clubs for the best players in the world, not just the veterans.
