Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has opened up about his Santiago Bernabeu future in an exclusive interview with CNN shortly after a rumored bid from Saudi Arabia for the Brazilian.
The 23-year-old, who, alongside teammate Jude Bellingham, is one of the favorites for this year's Ballon d'Or, garnered interest from one of the Saudi Pro League's biggest spenders.
According to ESPN, representatives from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, who own 75% of the capital of the kingdom's four main clubs, approached both the Brazilian and his Spanish employers.
While no formal offer was made, the PIF discussed an annual salary of up to $382.5M with the player to join Al Ahli, which would total over $1BN over five years with and without bonuses.
Additionally, the offer included a 10-year contract to be an ambassador for Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2034 World Cup.
However, is the player open to leaving the Spanish capital for Jeddah? Vinicius Junior addressed the topic of his future during his CNN interview, stressing that he wants nothing more than to compete at the highest level and win more major trophies with Los Blancos.
"I always play to be among the best and, each day that passes at Real Madrid, I feel more confident," the attack said.
"I've already won two Champions Leagues and I play with others who already won six – [Dani] Carvajal also has won six and they motivate us each day to play beyond our limits and that everything is possible with the team we have now.
"We already made it this far [winning two Champions Leagues in three years], it was really hard. But to stay at the highest level, it's much harder, so I want to stay at this level for a long time and be able to win as many Champions League as Carvajal, [Luka] Modrić, Nacho and Toni [Kroos], who won six.
"We might have one of the best teams for the next decade, and now, we have to show on the pitch that we can perform. And I, along with my teammates, each time, each game we play, we can get closer to winning Real Madrid more titles."
However, the aforementioned ESPN report tells a different story about the Brazilian's true plans. According to them, the 23-year-old has not dismissed the offer from Saudi.
In fact, he is reportedly putting off making a decision until the end of this season and will only make a decision then. This year's Ballon d'Or could factor into the equation for Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid do not wish to sell the forward and pointed to his enormous $1.1BN release clause when the PIF came calling. However, the player will enter the final two years of his contract next summer, and with the South American allegedly holding off on talks for a renewal, the Saudis believe Los Merengues will be open to negotiating next summer.
The former Flamengo ace scored 24 goals and grabbed an additional 11 assists last campaign for Los Blancos, leading them to the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles. The Brazilian is yet to score this season but already has two assist, one in the Spanish Primera Division and the other in their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta.