Manchester United 'willing to splash £130m on Vinicius Junior' (1 Viewer)

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Manchester United is reportedly ready to splash out a substantial €150m (£130m) in a renewed pursuit of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior. Despite being in the initial race to sign the attacker from Flamengo earlier in his career, it was Real Madrid that secured his services in 2018.

Since then, the 23-year-old has blossomed into one of the premier attackers globally, making 241 appearances for Los Blancos, with 68 goals and 68 assists to his name.

This season, despite grappling with injuries, Vinicius has still managed to notch up nine goals and four assists in 16 appearances, including a memorable hat-trick against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Having signed a contract extension with Real Madrid until June 2027, complete with a staggering release clause of €1bn (£860m), Vinicius seemed untouchable. However, recent reports from Defensa Central suggest that Manchester United is willing to shell out €150m (£130m) for his services.

While Real Madrid considers Vinicius 'non-transferable,' club president Florentino Perez hasn't dismissed the idea, taking into account the financial aspect of the deal. A significant departure for Vinicius would fortify Real Madrid's position in securing Kylian Mbappe, who is expected to join the club on a free transfer.

The departure of Vinicius would free up funds crucial for Mbappe's substantial signing-on fee and wage demands.

Despite Vinicius's importance to the team, especially in Mbappe's preferred left-sided forward role, the prospect of a departure hasn't been ruled out. The Brazilian has consistently scored over 20 goals in his last two seasons at Real Madrid and seems on track for a third.

Vinicius has been a key figure in Real Madrid's success, winning 10 trophies during his tenure, including two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League.

For Manchester United, acquiring Vinicius would present a dilemma, as Marcus Rashford favors the same left-sided forward position, and Alejandro Garnacho has also impressed in that role this season.

As the 20-time English champions gear up for the summer transfer window, with incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe eyeing a center-forward, central midfielder, center-back, and right-back, Vinicius's potential arrival adds an interesting dimension to their plans.