The Blaugrana was willing to offer more cash for his services but failed to land the Brazilian nonetheless.

One ray of hope in what has been a disappointing season for Real Madrid is the emergence of Vinicius Jr. The young Brazilian has impressed in his debut campaign and has now spoken about his reasons for joining Los Blancos amid his current injury layoff.

The teenager opened up to Cadena Ser, revealing that even Barcelona showed great interest in him prior to putting pen to paper on a deal with the Bernabeu side. The Catalan giant was even willing to offer more cash but that mattered little to the then Flamengo sensation.

"My father never told me of interest until Barcelona and Real Madrid. Then we visited both clubs and liked them both," the 18-year-old told the Spanish radio station (via Goal).

"Barcelona wanted to pay more, but we wanted the best project, and Marcelo and Casemiro spoke to me and helped me decide."

This response will be music to the ears of Real Madrid fans. After arriving in the Spanish capital last summer, Vinicius Jr. has gone from strength to strength.

While his finishing is in need of improvement, he has been the spark in Los Merengues' squad. He has three goals and 12 assists under his belt in 28 appearances and impressed in El Clasico in La Liga despite the home defeat.

The Brazilian is currently recovering from an ankle injury he picked up in the Champions League defeat to Ajax. The youngster could be out until next season but there is hope for a return in May for the attacker.