Sources: Vinicius Junior holding showdown talks amid Man City interest
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has been subject to speculation recently as tensions continue to grow with his manager Xabi Alonso.
During Real Madrid‘s 2-1 win against Barcelona, the winger ranted: “I’m going to leave this team”, as he was left fuming with the manager’s decision to withdraw him.
So far this season, the 26-year-old has failed to complete 90 minutes in 11 of his 14 appearances across all competitions, leading to growing frustrations.
Reports have claimed he no longer feels untouchable at the Bernabeu and could look to push for a move to a club where he feels more valued as a starting XI regular.
As a result, Real Madrid have been preparing to lose Vinicius Junior, and Man City are one of the few clubs who have the spending power to attract the Brazilian.
Man City dealt blow in Vinicius Junior interest
Football Insider revealed on 2 November that Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on Vinicius Junior, including Man City, in case he becomes available.
However, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Real Madrid are not open to the idea of losing their star man any time soon and remain hopeful any tension between him and Alonso will soon be diffused.
Los Blancos are in ongoing negotiations over a new contract for the Brazil international and remain hopeful that he will put pen to paper despite speculation.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “It does seem there is a few tensions between him and Xabi Alonso right now at Real Madrid.
“As you said, he got that outburst in the El Clásico game last weekend, but he’s obviously come out since and apologised for that.
“There is a chance that Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso and Vinicius Junior can resolve any tensions and issues they have in Madrid because he is still a key player for them.
“He’s maybe not as untouchable as he was under Carlo Ancelotti, now you’ve got Kylian Mbappe who seems to be the spearhead of the Real Madrid attack.
“He’s still a top player, proven at the top level and he’s a serial winner in the Champions League.
“Talks are ongoing over a new contract, they will continue and Real will be hopeful that as I said they can ease all these tensions off the pitch.
“I think their number one priority will be to keep Vini Jr.”
Since his El Classico outburst, the winger started and was again withdrawn during Real Madrid’s 4-0 win against Valencia, leading to further questions over his place.
Man City face competition in Vinicius Junior pursuit
Due to the growing possibility that Vinicius Junior could soon be allowed to leave Real Madrid, Man City are far from the only interested club.
The likes of Liverpool and Man United have been linked with moves to bring him to England, while Paris Saint-Germain have recently joined the race as top contenders.
However, Saudi Pro League outfits have long been working to bring the Brazil star to the Middle East as their latest superstar signing given the wages available.
The Brazil winger is believed to be earning around £350,000 per week in Madrid, while his contract is set to run until 2027, meaning any deal would cost a huge fee.
While Saudi Pro League clubs would be able to finance such a move, there is a growing feeling that Premier League clubs could miss out due to spending restrictions.
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