Saudi Arabia are reportedly pursuing Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Jr with an offer of more than €1 billion.
Reuters and ESPN reported that the player is willing to hear the offer from the kingdom, which will be the biggest deal in the sport.
Vinicius, 24, has apparently been approached by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund about the possibility of moving to the Saudi Pro League on a five-year contract worth around €200m a season plus bonuses.
According to Reuters, the deal could include a separate 10-year contract to become an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup, which is set to be held in the country – the second time the global finals will be held in the Middle East.
While a formal offer has yet to be presented, Vinicius has reportedly given permission to PIF to approach Real Madrid.
According to the reports, while Vinicius is "happy and motivated" in Madrid, the lucrative offer must be looked at carefully.
However, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said these are just rumours and added Vinicius is focused on performing for Real Madrid.
"The Saudi rumours do not affect Vinicius at all. He's a fantastic player who wants to help Real Madrid be at the top, as he did in the last few years," Ancelotti said ahead of the Uefa Super Cup final against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia has been making major moves in the world of football with the aim of turning the SPL into a league that attracts the world's best players.
The process started with the PIF taking majority ownership of the country's four main clubs: Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al Nassr.
The kingdom announced expansion plans this year. The kingdom's ministry of sport launched the latest phase of the "sports clubs investment and privatisation project" to bring in fresh investment at 14 more clubs.
Six clubs were made available for investments from August – Al Zulfi, Al Nahda, Al Okhdood, Al Ansar, Al Orouba, and Al Kholoud.
After that, eight more clubs – Al Shoalah, Hajar, Al Najmah, Al Riyadh, Al Rawdhah, Jeddah, Al Taraji, and Al Sahel – will be up for privatisation at a later stage.
The scale matches the ambition of the SPL, which has witnessed several significant transfer deals. Al Hilal spent €90m to buy star forward Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.
That came alongside Karim Benzema moving to Al Ittihad after Cristiano Ronaldo signed a historic deal at Al Nassr.
Saudi Arabia also tried to persuade Kylian Mbappe to move to the SPL but the France captain turned down lucrative offer and joined Real Madrid in June.
The proposal for Vinicius is said to be similar to the one made to Mbappe. If he does agree, the Brazilian could link up with former Premier League players Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino at Al Ahli.
Vinicius, who is under contract until 2027 after signing an extension in 2022, is a contender to win the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world after helping Real to a Champions League and La Liga double last season.
THREE
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Honeymoonish
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Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
Super Rugby play-offs
Quarter-finals
- Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
- Lions 23, Sharks 21
- Chiefs 17, Stormers 11
Semi-finals
Saturday, July 29
- Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The%20specs
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
