Al Ahli Confirm Outrageous Summer Attempt to Land Ballon D’Or Frontrunner Vinicius Junior

One of the biggest rumors of the summer transfer window has finally been confirmed. Al Ahli made an audacious attempt to lure 24-year-old Vinicius Junior to Saudi Arabia this summer.

In a surprise revelation, director of Al Ahli, Khaled Al-Issa, confirmed that the club did indeed try to sign Vinicius Junior. The Saudi Arabian club reportedly prepared a record-breaking offer in order to attract the Brazilian to the club. The news of a rumored move to Saudi Arabia sent shockwaves through European football, as no one had expected Al Ahli to orchestrate such a bold move. That too for one of the best players in the world. The 24-year-old Brazilian is the frontrunner to clinch this year’s Ballon D’Or. Until now, there had been just murmurs and whispers of a move, but Al-Issa's public confirmation has shed light on the extent of Al Ahli’s pursuit. 

Vinicius Junior’s current market value is 180-million euros, making him one of the most expensive players in the world. However, this valuation didn’t deter Al-Issa. The Al Ahli director wanted to make Vinicius Junior the highest paid player in the history of world football. Reports had suggested that the total package of a deal was in the ballpark figure of a billion euros. However, Real Madrid weren’t interested in losing one of their best players and pointed out his one-billion release clause.  

While many fans assumed Al Ahli’s pursuit ended because they couldn't agree on a price for the Brazilian, Al-Issa revealed that other factors were also in play. “There was a desire to bring in a very big winger, Vinicius, from Real Madrid, but during the negotiations something unexpected happened, which was the Saudi players leaving to go professional in accordance with the scholarship program, and the striker Firas Al-Braikan was scheduled to leave,” Al-Issa explained. He further added, “Our priority shifted from the winger to the spearhead based on the departure of Al-Braikan, and we entered into negotiations with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, and it ended with Toney's arrival." 

Despite this setback, Al Ahli will again dip back into the transfer market for a winger because of the sale of Allan Saint Maximin to Fenerbahçe. Even Al Ahli president Khaled Al-Issa confirmed his desire to sign a winger in the coming transfer window. He said, “We are left with a hole in the winger's position, which we will fill in the next transfer window with a player who exceeds the ambitions of Al-Ahli.” Football fans should keep an eye on Al Ahli—they’re not done making headlines yet! 

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