Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has reportedly turned down a bumper contract offer from Manchester United to prolong his stay at the Bernabeu.
According to a report from El Nacional, Manchester United have been rebuffed in their attempts to lure Vinicius Junior away from Real Madrid, with the Brazilian rejecting a mega-money contract from the Premier League giants.
Vinicius has been with Real Madrid since 2018 when he arrived from Brazilian outfit Flamengo. The 21-year-old was soon integrated into the first-team squad at the Spanish capital outfit. While there were plenty of glimpses of his innate talent and potential, he was unable to perform at the highest level consistently.
However, that has changed considerably in 2021/22 as Vinicius is enjoying his best-ever season since joining Los Blancos. The Brazilian is currently one of the most in-form players in Europe, having already plundered nine goals and seven assists in 16 matches across all competitions.
Vinicius’ flourishing partnership with Karim Benzema has been a key aspect of Real Madrid’s gameplay this season. And his development at the Santiago Bernabeu has not gone unnoticed as Manchester United have taken an interest in the seven-time capped Brazilian international.
The Red Devils are not short of options in the wide areas with Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Amad Diallo all available at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s disposal, not to forget the big-money summer arrival, Jadon Sancho. However, Lingard is in the final year of his contract and is expected to move out of Old Trafford in the near future.
In addition, Amad Diallo is likely to be loaned out for a while to help with his development, while Greenwood’s future is seen in the No. 9 role at Manchester United. So, there could be room made for a new player on the flanks come summer of next year. And Vinicius, based on current form, would be a fine signing for the Red Devils.
To that end, the report claims that Manchester United already presented the 21-year-old with a contract offer worth a bumper €16 million per year for a duration of six years, taking the total cost of the deal to a humungous €96 million. However, it is further stated that Vinicius rebuffed their attempts in favour of extending his stay at Real Madrid.
The Brazilian’s current contract with the Merengues runs till the summer of 2025. But he has expressed his desire of wanting to pen a new contract. Real Madrid, for their part, are also keen on rewarding the young forward with a new deal, one that will include a mammoth release clause of €1 billion. So, it would be safe to assume that Vinicius will be staying put at the Bernabeu for the foreseeable future.
