Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior is reported to have shown “interest in the proposals” from the Saudi Pro League that could make him the highest paid footballer in history.

There has been interest in Vinicius from Saudi Arabia for over a year and the numbers being talked about are on another level, even for the oil-rich Gulf nation.

A potential transfer fee could reach a world record €300m, with Vinicius able to earn an eye-watering €1bn over the course of a five-year contract.

MARCA has reported that Vinicius first met with Saudi officials on a video call in 2023, described as a “relaxed chat” which lasted only around 15 minutes. In addition to the money on offer, it was put to the player that he could be an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup.

A more formal second meeting is said to have later been held face to face in Prague, of all places, “away from the media spotlight and in neutral territory”. That is when the exorbitant figures involved are claimed to have been agreed on.

Bizarrely, there is still no firm idea on the exact club. Al Hilal has usually been rumoured due to Neymar’s recent departure, although the Saudi Pro League would rather Vinicius play in Jeddah, which means either Al Ahli or Al Ittihad.

The player’s entourage are said to have made it clear to him just how “unprecedented and irresistible” the offer is. His agent was in Saudi Arabia just last month and the level of potential financial gain is causing Vinicius to at least “consider” his future.

Vini’s concern centres around how it would look were he to take the Saudi deal, not wanting to be seen as motivated by money. As such, his representatives are working to build better optics.

Ultimately, no decision has been made as things stand. Publicly, Vinicius has pledged his future to Real Madrid, insisting that negotiations over a new contract beyond 2027 make him “excited” and expressing a desire to stay “for a long time”.