24-year-old Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid has turned down a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, despite the staggering offer of 1 billion euros, due to his aspirations to contend for the Ballon d'Or.
Reports earlier indicated that Al-Ahli had proposed a contract worth 350 million euros to the Real forward and were prepared to pay his release clause of 1 billion euros. In August, Vinicius rejected the offer, expressing his satisfaction with his current situation at Madrid.
According to ESPN, Vinicius’ potential chance at the Ballon d'Or was a significant factor influencing his decision to stay rather than move to the Saudi club.
This season, Vinicius has recorded two assists in three matches for Real Madrid across all competitions. Transfermarkt values the player's market price at 180 million euros.
There were earlier reports suggesting that the forward was considering a move to Saudi Arabia and may join Al-Ahli in 2025.