Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior delivers major update on future as Saudi Pro League speculation continues

Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior has said that he wants to stay at Bernabeu "for many years", with a new contract for the Brazil international thought to be on the verge of being signed.

The 24-year-old is currently representing Real Madrid at the 2025 Club World Cup, and he was in excellent form against Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday night, scoring once and providing one assist in a 3-0 success.

Vinicius' current deal with Los Blancos is due to expire in June 2027, and there remains a host of speculation surrounding his future, with teams from the Saudi Pro League said to be determined to sign him.

However, recent reports have claimed that Real Madrid are now close to coming to an agreement over a new deal for Vinicius, which is expected to commit him to the capital giants until June 2030.

Speaking after the success over Salzburg, Vinicius called Real Madrid 'the club of his life'.

Vinicius 'on the verge' of signing new Real Madrid contract

“I hope I can stay here for many years,” Vinicius told reporters. “I’ve always said this is the club of my life. I’m very happy with the coach and everyone on the staff, and I hope I can keep playing here.

I have a two-year contract left… until 2027. I’ve always said I want to stay here my entire career and make a great history with this team.” 

Vinicius made the move to Real Madrid from Flamengo in the summer of 2018, and he has represented the club on 319 occasions in all competitions, scoring 106 goals and registering 83 assists in the process.

The Brazilian will be bidding to help Los Blancos land the 2025 Club World Cup, with the team preparing to tackle European rivals Juventus in the last-16 stage of the tournament on July 1.

Alonso has guided Real Madrid into the Club World Cup round of 16

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso said that he was "satisfied" with his team's performance against Salzburg, which was a big improvement on the opening two games with Al-Hilal and Pachuca.

"I'm satisfied with the team's performance. There was a move in the second half where the team's defensive reaction after a corner was spectacular, and everyone's sacrifice was important. Without that, it's impossible nowadays," he told reporters.

"There's still a long way to go in the World Cup, and we know that Juventus are waiting for us in the last 16. Juve are Juve. I have the utmost respect for them, and we have to prepare well for that game. It's a case of either you go through or you go home, so we have to be ready.

"Despite that, I'm happier with today's game than with the first half against Al-Hilal. We're still in the early stages, and we're taking it cautiously. There's still a long way to go.

"We're starting a new era, and we're making changes in the middle of a demanding competition. During this time, we've been clear about our strategy, although there's still a lot to improve on."

Real Madrid will hope to have Kylian Mbappe available for the clash with Juventus; the France international is yet to feature at this summer's tournament due to illness.

Written by
Matt Law