Real Madrid says it's only matter of time before Vinicius moves to Saudi Arabia

Real Madrid have been told that it is 'only a matter of time' before Vinicius Jr makes a shock move to Saudi Arabia amid interest from several clubs.

Interest from clubs is 'still active' according to reports from ESPN, which also revealed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) contacted the forward's representatives last month over a potential move for the Brazilian star.

The Saudi PIF, which controls Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr, and Al Hilal, touched base with Vinícius' team in December regarding a possible switch.

However, any potential move for the 24-year-old would come with an enormous price tag due to the presence of a €1 billion (£844mllion) release clause in his current contract, which runs until 2027.

Vinicius has been in fine form for Los Blancos so far this season, with eight goals and five assists in 15 appearances in LaLiga.

He has also netted five times in the Spanish side's six group phase matches to date.

The winner of last year's FIFA The Best men's player award, Vinicius finished in second place for the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or after playing a crucial part in Madrid's march to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.

However, the current UEFA Champions League holders face a battle to qualify automatically for the top eight after defeats to Liverpool, Milan and Lille.

They return to action in Europe on Wednesday evening, welcoming RB Salzburg to the Santiago Bernabeu before finishing their campaign with a trip to surprise high-flyers Brest on January 29.

The reigning LaLiga champions reclaimed top spot after a 4-1 thrashing of Las Palmas saw them capitalise on Atletico Madrid's surprise 1-0 away defeat to Leganes.

News of a possible move to Saudi Arabia comes after Vinicius Jr reignited his long-standing feud with Mallorca star Pablo Maffeo when the two came up against each other in the Spanish Super Cup on January 9.

The Real Madrid superstar and the defender have a history, having first clashed during a meeting in the 2021-22 season when Los Blancos faced off with their LaLiga counterparts.

The Brazil international had been subject to a heavy challenge from Maffeo, and although the pair were thought to have reconciled, tempers flared during the cup tie which saw Carlo Ancelotti's side claim the 3-0 win.

It took just 10 minutes for touch paper to ignite between the pair, after Maffeo tried to put the forward off balance with some early overzealous man-marking.

In a bid to ward him off, Vinicius waved a hand at the defender's chest, which prompted him to go to ground in a bid to draw a foul.

While Vinicius' side did get the better of Mallorca, leaving him with the last laugh over Maffeo, they would go on to be defeated 5-2 in the final of the competition by their arch-rivals Barcelona.