Earlier this month, Real Madrid were given an unlikely scare by Saudi Arabia. The Middle East nation proposed a sensational offer for megastar Vinicius Junior, offering him the chance to become the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Reports had indicated that Saudi Arabia’s offer for Vinicius stood at a staggering €1 billion, which was 13 times higher than his current salary at Real Madrid.
Saudi Arabia also offered Vinicius the chance to become a free agent in 2029 and return to Europe. He was also given the chance to become the main ambassador of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Has the Saudi offer impacted Vinicius?
Although Vinicius did not consider the offer from Saudi Arabia, a recent report from MARCA has shed more light on the Brazilian’s situation at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid do not expect the 24-year-old megastar to leave despite the lucrative proposal from the Middle East.
However, the report suggests that some members of the Real Madrid dressing room believe Vinicius has lost his focus ever since the offer from Saudi Arabia came to light.
Vinicius has indeed struggled in these early parts of the campaign, failing to fit into Carlo Ancelotti’s new formation that looks to accommodate both him and Kylian Mbappe.
Ancelotti, for his part, expects everyone in the dressing room to help Vini get back to his peak mental state and regain his full form.
At the end of the day, however, Vinicius remains committed to the Real Madrid project and has no desire to leave the club anytime soon.
That said, the offer from Saudi Arabia seems to have had an impact on the player’s mentality, but there is hope he can get over it soon and return to becoming the top footballer he is.