El abrazo de Vinicius y Xabi Alonso tras el Olympiacos - Real Madrid, que lo dice todo
Liverpool and Manchester United have been in substandard form this season despite spending big money to rebuild their sides in the summer, but both their boards seem to be willing to sanction further additions next year as well.
Football Insider has reported that the Premier League rivals are keen on signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who is set to approach the last season of his contract at the Bernabeu next summer, and could consequently be available for just £80 million.
Vinicius is thought to be at crossroads with Xabi Alonso and has resultantly paused renewal talks with the 15-time European champions, whereas his financial demands are also viewed as excessive by the club’s hierarchy.
Nonetheless, he is one of the team’s top performers this season with five goals and six assists in all competitions, but a failure in renewing his contract could see the Brazilian international get put up for sale with Madrid hoping to avoid losing him for free.
Vinicius swoop unlikely for both clubs
Real Madrid will keep probing for Vinicius Junior’s contract extension till the very end and regardless of how things pan out with Xabi Alonso, the player has made it clear that he wants to spend the longer run in the Spanish capital.
Therefore, all things point towards the parties concerned, especially the player, reaching a fair compromise to renew his contract beyond 2027, therefore ending Liverpool’s and Manchester United’s hopes to signing him.
With that said, even if the forward was to leave his current employers in 2026, the Champions League would be a non-negotiable for him when picking a new club and with current form in mind, neither Liverpool nor United may qualify for it next year.
All things point towards Vinicius prioritising a stay at Real Madrid for the time being, whereas Liverpool and Manchester United might not stand a strong chance with signing him, though it will be interesting to see how things pan out in summer 2026.