Gary Lineker mocks Man Utd's transfer interest in Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr

17 January 2024 , 14:33

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Gary Lineker has reacted to reports linking Manchester United with Vinicius Junior

Gary Lineker has seemingly laughed off claims that Manchester United could sign Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior in the summer.

The Red Devils are expected to reshape their playing squad in the coming months following the arrival of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who will acquire a minority stake in his boyhood club once his £1.25billion agreement with the Glazers is formally ratified.

While it seems unlikely that Erik ten Hag will be able to splash the cash in January, the Dutchman is expected to be busy in the summer - and a new report from Sport has claimed that United may attempt to use Ineos' investment to lure Vinicius Junior to the Premier League.

It's speculated that Real Madrid could cash in on the Brazilian winger in an attempt to raise funds to facilitate the signing of Kylian Mbappe, whose annual salary could exceed £30million.

With that in mind, United have been touted as a potential destination for Vinicius Junior - but Lineker doesn't seem to believe the deal has legs given he responded to the report with a pair of laughing emojis in a social media post on Wednesday afternoon.

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While Lineker is far from convinced that Vinicius Junior will be at Old Trafford next season, the report goes on to outline that Real Madrid could consider adequate offers for the winger given Mbappe would fill his spot on the left-wing.

It's claimed United would be willing to pay £130m for the forward - a sum which would go some way to funding Mbappe's potential contract, which the report estimates would add up to £150m over five years.

Join the debate! Would Vinicius Jr be a good signing for Man Utd? Let us know here.

Real Madrid could sell Vinicius Junior to fund a move for Kylian Mbappe (Getty Images)

While it remains to be seen if United would be open to putting together such a package for Vinicius Junior, plans for a summer rebuild under Ineos have already emerged.

The club have already identified Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise as a key target while there are also plans in place to acquire a centre-back, a right-back, a No.8 and a Harry Kane-calibre striker.

Given none of those deals are likely to be cheap, Manchester United will have to cut their cloth accordingly in the summer. It has already been outlined that Olise has a £60m release clause which will become active at the end of the current campaign.

Dan Marsh