The entire football world was rocked when news of Vinicius Jr. being approached by Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli spread like wildfire earlier this week.
Al-Ahli, one of the four founding teams of SPL, are largely owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Under the leadership of Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and prime minister, the fund has over $900 billion in assets.
That is why, to them, offering the 24-year-old star player the biggest contract of all time is akin to buying soda in the supermarket.
However, according to Saudi Pro League 2024 news, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti sees this as nothing more than just for show.
“There is nothing. It is just speculation at this moment in the market. Nothing more. He is happy to be here,” he said.
Well, Ancelotti does have a point.
Real Madrid are undoubtedly the best team in the world, and when it comes to being compensated for your talents, you won’t find a lot with deeper pockets than the 15-time Champions League winners.
That is why it’s extremely rare to outbid Los Blancos; it would always take something special for a player not to choose them.
But for the sake of the argument, let’s say Vini did in fact agree to Al-Ahli’s wishes. Just how much will he pocket?
The world and everything in it
In no way is Vinicius Jr. being strong-armed by Madrid when it comes to his wages; the Brazil international is already earning €20 million per year in his contract.
However, that pales in comparison to what the three-time Saudi Pro League champions presented.
Al-Ahli initially offered a €1 billion salary over five seasons. That sum makes Neymar’s €222 million transfer fee—the record for the highest fee paid in the sport’s history—look like pennies.
Coincidentally, the €1 billion amount is also the same as Vini’s release clause.
Aside from that, there is also a separate contract from the Saudi officials: a ten-year deal that will coincide with the 2034 World Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host. The plan? Make him the ambassador.
Had Vini—and Madrid, of course—accepted the generous fee, it wouldn’t just make him the highest-paid footballer of all time. It’ll also make him earn more than any other athletes of his generation.
The Kingdom’s star power
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster move to Al-Nassr in 2022, the league has since attracted a barrage of world-class and high-calibre talents from Europe and elsewhere.
Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, N’golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Fabinho, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aymeric Laporte and Malcom are just some of the players that the country has secured the services of.
Back then, people were saying on the internet that a move to the Middle East was only reserved for ageing stars that were looking for a last chance at a big contract. But as things show, some of the star players that have moved over to the Arabian Peninsula are still relatively young and could still have three to four more years of top-level action in Europe.
But at the end of the day, football is a business as much as it is a sport. And sometimes, players must secure deals for their future.
Vini, however, would be an outlier in that he’s yet to reach his prime. He still has plenty of room to grow and a lot more to achieve in Europe.
Another star of the game—and Vini’s current Real Madrid teammate—Kylian Mbappe was also approached by the Saudi Pro League before the Frenchman made his decision to switch his red and blue Paris Saint-Germain kit to the white of Madrid.
The offer came from Al-Hilal (whose deep pockets are also filled in with Public Investment Fund money) and amounted to €700 million in wages.
As things stand, neither wanted a move away from Europe. Both are chasing greatness, and with all due respect, they won’t get that playing in Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano looks to shine in Super Cup
Away from the money talks in the transfer window, the final of the Saudi Super Cup will be played hours from now, and will be contested between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal—the top favourites to win the league, according to the SBOTOP Saudi Pro League 2024 odds.
Obviously, the world will be watching if Cristiano Ronaldo can win his first Super Cup in Saudi Arabia after losing last year’s final against Al-Ittihad.
The 39-year-old scored and assisted in Al-Nassr’s 0-2 semi-final win vs Al-Taawoun, and he will hope to replicate a good performance in the final.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
