Florian Plettenberg has stated that several executives and agents from across European football, including the Bundesliga, believe a summer move for Vinicius Jr. to Saudi Arabia cannot be ruled out entirely. While no official negotiations have been acknowledged by Real Madrid, the prospect of a record-breaking transfer continues to circulate within elite football circles.
Saudi clubs, particularly Al Hilal, are understood to be preparing a historic offer, potentially reaching up to €350m. The move would not only break all existing records for transfer fees and wages, but it would also place the Brazilian forward at the centre of Saudi Arabia’s long-term sporting project ahead of their 2034 World Cup bid. Despite Real Madrid’s public stance that Vinicius is not for sale, internally, plans are reportedly being considered should the offer become too substantial to ignore.
In the event of such a departure, Erling Haaland has been identified as the club’s absolute priority to replace the 23-year-old winger. The Manchester City striker, who only recently renewed his contract until 2034, remains a dream signing for Real Madrid. They view him as the ideal forward to lead the attack alongside Kylian Mbappe, whose arrival from Paris Saint-Germain is expected this summer.
Sources suggest the Spanish giants would be willing to invest up to €200m to lure the Norwegian away from the Etihad. However, Haaland has reiterated his happiness at City and recently expressed his affection for the club and its staff following his contract extension. Even so, Madrid’s interest remains firm, and they will be closely monitoring the situation in Manchester as the summer window draws near.
Whether Vinicius leaves or not, the mere existence of such contingency plans reflects the scale of change potentially looming over the Santiago Bernabeu in the months ahead.