Vinicius Jr names club he'd leave Real Madrid for amid Man Utd transfer links
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has become the latest big name linked with Manchester United, but the Brazil star has previously suggested a move back to Flamengo would be his one route away from the Bernabeu.
The forward began his career with the Rio de Janeiro side before moving to Madrid on his 18th birthday. He has scored 68 goals for Los Blancos, hitting more than 20 in each of the last two seasons, and bagged the winner in the 2022 Champions League final.
Vinicius is under contract in the Spanish capital until 2027, meaning there's no urgency for Los Blancos to cash in. However, if Kylian Mbappe joins the club over the summer when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires, there may be a temptation to balance the books.
United have been linked with a £130m swoop, in what looks set to be a statement-making first summer window since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival at the club. Any such deal would require the 23-year-old to go back on previous statements, though, after previously indicating a return home would be the only way he'd leave his current club.
"I think I could stay here my whole career, but the club of my life is Flamengo," the forward said in an interview with France Football and L'Equipe last year (via the Manchester Evening News). "I promised my father I would go back one day. I have to keep this promise.
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"I love life here in general, and it's going well for my family too. When my loved ones walk around, they are recognised and they wish us nothing but happiness.
"Little by little, I discovered this new life, new emotions, a fervour... Madrid is unique. Everyone around the world tells me about this club. And apart from that, I like it. I'm quite a homebody but we do a lot of activities."
Do Manchester United have any chance of signing Vinicius Junior? Have your say in the comments section
Vinicius Junior began his career with Flamengo and would welcome a return one day (AFP/Getty Images)United's current transfer record sits at just under £90m, which was the amount they paid Juventus for Paul Pogba back in 2016. Vinicius would cost £130m, according to reports, though doubt has been cast on how realistic a swoop would really be.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker laughed off the links, while a number of his social media followers did the same. "And I want a toilet made of gold!" joked one, with another saying "I want a Bentley.. guess what, neither will happen."
A third described the links as "laughable". "Every club in the world would love to sign Vinicius Jr, but none of them would be able to get him from Madrid, especially how much they’d probably want for him!" they added.
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