Vinicius Jr was the main man at Madrid prior to the 2024 arrival of Kylian Mbappe. But ever since the Frenchman began leading Los Blancos' attack, the Brazilian's impact has diminished. This season, for instance, he has five goals and eight assists in 24 games, compared to Mbappe's 29 goals and five assists in as many matches. As a result, he has been linked with a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League amid some uncertainty over renewing his contract. Indeed, Al-Ittihad sporting director Ramon Planes can see the wideman leaving Santiago Bernabeu in the not-so-distant future.
"Yes, I see it as a possibility that players like Vinicius could be here in Saudi Arabia. I see an evolution of the championship and it is feasible to have players of the highest level and at their best here," he said. "The trend is already to incorporate players at a very good footballing age. It’s no longer just players in the last stage of their careers."