The entourage of Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior have apparently denied suggestions that the Brazil international is close to agreeing a new contract with the European champions.
On Wednesday, reports emerged that the 24-year-old was on the cusp of reaching a deal to extend his stay at the Bernabeu, where his current terms only run until the summer of 2027.
Vinicius has long been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League while his Real Madrid contract situation remains unsolved, and the Public Investment Fund-backed clubs could be prepared to make him the most expensive player of all time.
Vinicius could also expect to become the highest-paid footballer in the world if he was to make the switch to the Middle East, but he has publicly stated that he wishes to sign fresh terms in the Spanish capital.
However, The Athletic reports that Vinicius's camp 'strongly deny' claims that their client is on the verge of putting pen to paper on a new agreement until the end of the 2029-30 season, contrary to whispers from the Spanish media.
Vinicius agents 'strongly deny' Real Madrid contract claims
© Imago
The attacker's entourage's stance also differs from that of Real Madrid, who allegedly believe that it is 'common knowledge' that Vinicius is close to completing a renewal to stay for the next five years.
Vinicius' representatives apparently approached Real Madrid with a contract proposal a few months ago, which Los Blancos did not entertain, and the entourage have said that the club are yet to provide them with a revised offer.
The Brazilian winger is said to be after a yearly pay packet of around €30m (£25.6m) to renew his contract at Real Madrid, similar to the amount of money that Cristiano Ronaldo pocketed during his time in the Spanish capital.
The 15-time European champions have so far not been willing to bow to those demands, but Vinicius's people are not panicking, as for them, the ball is in Real Madrid's court.
Vinicius has posted another impressive set of numbers this season with 20 goals and 14 assists under his belt from 47 matches in all competitions, although he has netted just three times in his last 12 La Liga appearances.
The case for and against Vinicius to stay at Real Madrid
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One cannot knock Vinicius for potentially having his head turned by the life-changing amount of money on offer in the Saudi Pro League, but his desire to win the Ballon d'Or may still win out.
Flash back to just a few months ago, when Vinicius and the whole of Real Madrid threw their toys out of the pram when they caught wind of Manchester City's Rodri winning the coveted prize ahead of the South American.
However, staying at Real Madrid and competing for the Champions League is seemingly still Vinicius's best bet of winning the Ballon d'Or; Los Blancos boast more victories in the men's Ballon d'Or category than any other club.
The winger may be fighting a losing battle against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele for the top honour this season, but while his pay packet would substantially increase in the Middle East, his Ballon d'Or hopes would plunge in the opposite direction.
Ben Knapton
