Vinicius Junior offered $1 billion Saudi Pro League contract

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has received a mouthwatering contract offer from the Saudi Pro League (SPL). The Middle Eastern division has made headlines in the last year or so by attracting major players. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo essentially led the Saudi surge by signing with Al-Nassr as a free agent in January of 2023.

The league then brought in other top-tiered players such as Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, and Sadio Mane later in the year. In total, SPL officials have splashed out over $1 billion on a series of stars in hopes of building the division.

Spending in the league has slowed quite a bit during the current transfer window. Moussa Diaby’s move from Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad is the only Saudi transfer above $20 million this summer. Nevertheless, the league has made an effort to attract one of the top budding stars of the sport in recent days.

Brazilian star has turned down at least one Saudi offer

According to various reports, the SPL recently approached Vinicius about a possible move away from Real Madrid. The Brazilian is widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world at the moment. He previously joined Los Blancos back in 2018 for a fee of around $49 million. Vinicius is now, however, among the most valuable players in the world.

The Athletic has claimed that Saudi officials reached out directly to the star’s agent regarding a potential transfer. The Middle Eastern division desperately wants Vinicius to become the marquee man of the entire league.

Despite the approach, Vinicius turned down the massive offer. Reports out of Brazil claim that SPL officials would be willing to give the winger a five-year contract totaling over $1 billion. It remains to be seen if this particular figure was the offer that Vinicius rejected or if it is a new and improved proposal. This massive salary would be the largest contract in professional sports. It also represents 13 times the wages that Vinicius is currently making at Real.

Ronaldo currently rakes in a similar annual salary of around $200 million at Al-Nassr. Nevertheless, the veteran Portugal international’s current contract is set to expire in 2025. The overall length of the Vinicius offer means that the Brazilian would have made significantly more money in the long term.

Total deal involving Vinicius would likely approach $2 billion

Not only is the SPL willing to shell out $1 billion for Vinicius, but they would also have to pay Real a significant transfer fee. The Brazilian is currently under contract with the LaLiga side until 2027. As a result, the player has a $1 billion release clause in his deal.

Los Blancos officials do not want to sanction a sale of one of their most important players, so Saudi officials would likely have to trigger the clause. If so, Vinicius would collectively cost the SPL over $2 billion between wages and a transfer fee.

The player’s decision to reject the massive contract to remain in Spain is certainly admirable. Vinicius is essentially prioritizing playing soccer for a top European side over even more money. With the star in the squad, Real has collected a series of major triumphs in recent years. This includes two Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.