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Saudi Arabia have pulled the plug on their pursuit of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior this summer, according to El Larguero. The Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to the Middle East for a while.
Vinicius was once considered indispensable for Los Blancos, but his importance has diminished since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe last summer. The French superstar enjoyed a record-breaking debut campaign with the LaLiga giants, scoring 44 goals and setting up five more from 59 games.
Vinicius, meanwhile, had a drop in performances in the second half of the season, but still finished with 22 goals and 19 assists from 58 outings. His contract expires in 2027, but Real Madrid are apparently in talks to tie him down to a new deal.
However, negotiations are yet to yield a favourable outcome, and it was previously believed that Saudi club are plotting to prise him away. It was suggested that they are willing to offer the LaLiga giants around €300m for the Brazilian, who would be offered a €200m pay package.
However, those plans have been shelved, apparently due to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, as per AKHS Sports CEO Omar Ruben. Saudi clubs believe that players are now preferring competitive leagues instead of fat contracts ahead of next year's mega event.
As such, they have ended their pursuit of Vinicius for now. The player, meanwhile, remains focused on Los Blancos despite the uncertainties concerning his future. Real Madrid are taking a measured approach to manage salary expectations as they work to tie the Brazilian down to a new deal.
Will Ibrahima Konate move to Real Madrid this summer?
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Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate is ready to join Real Madrid, but a move is unlikely this summer, according to Defensa Central. The French defender has entered the final 12 months of his contract, and is yet to sign a new deal with Liverpool.
The LaLiga giants are keep a close eye on the situation as they look to add more defensive steel to their squad. With David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger no longer young, Konate has emerged as an option to shore up the backline.
Los Blancos apparently have their eyes on Arsenal's William Saliba as well, but he has no desire to make the move. Konate, though, is ready to join Real Madrid, and is willing to arrive in a cut-price deal in January, or as a free agent next summer.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.
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