Vinicius Jr turned down the opening contract. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Fabrizio Romano has poured cold water on the idea of Vinicius Jr swapping Madrid for Chelsea this summer, calling the rumours completely unrealistic.
In recent days, reports have claimed that Chelsea are preparing a huge bid for the Brazilian winger, with TBR Football stating that the club has been long-time admirers and would jump at the chance to sign him.
Allegedly, Vinicius is open to the idea of moving to London, and Chelsea are keeping close tabs on his situation at Real Madrid ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I had an offer from Arsenal but walked out of a BIZARRE meeting with Arsene Wenger” – which legendary figure has no regrets about turning down the Gunners?
But Romano isn’t buying it. He shut down speculation back in November, insisting that a move to Chelsea is “absolutely not realistic”, and nothing has changed since then.
The Saudi Pro League has been chasing Vinicius for over a year, and there’s growing belief that a mega-money offer could tempt him to make the move. The league’s CEO is convinced that the Real Madrid star will end up in Saudi Arabia sooner rather than later.
For now, Vinicius remains one of Madrid’s most important players, and unless something drastic changes, Chelsea’s hopes of signing him look like pure fantasy.
“We do not dream of Vinicius because it is not a question of dream, but a question of time, and of negotiation,” he said. “Some of our clubs have what it takes to attract a talent like him. We’ll see what happens.”
The face of Saudi football and the 2034 World Cup
It’s thought Saudi clubs are prepared to hand Vinicius a five-year deal worth €200 million per season, an offer that would obliterate every salary record in football history.
The plan isn’t just to bring Vinicius in as another superstar signing. Saudi officials want to make him the face of their league, the centrepiece of their push to make the Saudi Pro League a global powerhouse.
On top of that, he would play a major role as an ambassador for the country’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup.
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