Real Madrid are set for a major rebuild under former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, and this could lead to some high-profile names changing colours.
Earlier this summer, United showed interest in Aurelien Tchouameni. However, the French midfielder decided to commit his long term future to Real.
His teammate, Vinicius Junior, however, is still facing an uncertain future in the Spanish capital.
Manchester United can afford to sign Vinicius
Real Madrid have been trying to extend Vinicius‘ contract for quite some time now, but the negotiations appear to have hit a wall. This has raised a few alarm bells at Santiago Bernabeu, given their superstar winger has now entered the final 12 months of his deal.
This development has opened up the possibility of a stunning transfer away for the Brazilian this summer, as the prospect of losing a player of his calibre for nothing is even more daunting for Los Blancos.
According to French journalist Romain Molina, most clubs cannot afford to sign Vinicius this summer.
It is understood that Manchester United are the only club capable of financially pulling off a move for the 26-year-old.
Combining the signing-on bonus, the transfer fee, the commissions and the player’s salary which are all key factors, it is only the Premier League giants who have the financial muscle and squad space for a transfer of that magnitude.
Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming Vinicius’ representatives have held discussions through intermediaries with several Premier League clubs and United are being “kept informed of the situation”.
Manchester United want to sign a winger
It has been widely reported that United want to add a new left-winger to their ranks. However, the Red Devils’ preference is to first offload Marcus Rashford.
United have been strongly linked with West Ham’s Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville, but he seems to be nearing a move to AS Roma, who are pushing to strike an agreement with the Hammers.
INEOS were expected to make a marquee addition in the middle of the park. Impressively, they have managed to land two technically gifted midfielders for a combined fee of just £85m.
Vinicius Junior Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 36 | 32 | 16 | 6 | 8 | - | 2,825' |
| UEFA Champions League | 14 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 2 | - | 1,171' |
| Supercopa | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 163' |
| Copa del Rey | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 90' |
| Total | 53 | 48 | 22 | 14 | 11 | - | 4,249' |
As such, United, who spent north of £200m without Champions League football last year, do have a budget for a blockbuster transfer this summer. However, whether that would go into bringing Vinicius remains unclear.
Featured image Wagner Meier via Getty Images
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