Vinicius Junior Insists He Wants to Stay at Real Madrid Amid Rumours of PSG Switch
By Ben Carter
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has stressed he wants to stay in the Spanish capital next season, following rumours linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The 19-year-old only moved to Real Madrid from Flamengo in 2018, arriving in a £40m deal. Vinícius has gone on to make 53 appearances across all competitions where he's been directly involved in 20 goals.
Vinícius has fallen down the pecking order somewhat following the arrival of Rodrygo, another £40m import from Brazil, which has prompted rumours claiming he could be included in a swap deal for PSG's Kylian Mbappé.
But the Brazil international insists he has no plans to leave Real Madrid anytime soon and is focusing on returning to his impressive form from last season.
"There's no choice, I want to stay at Madrid," Vinícius said, quoted by Marca. "I'm reaching my level like last season, which in January to February was very good.
"[I want to] continue like this and without injuries. [Zinedine Zidane] has always given me the confidence I need and given me opportunities."
Real Madrid have their sights set firmly on signing Mbappé at the end of the season as they look to add another high profile star to their squad, while Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director Leonardo has been a long-time admirer of Vinícius.
That prompted Spanish outlet AS to pose the question about a possible swap deal this summer, where Real Madrid would also have to pay a hefty fee to persuade their French rivals into selling Mbappé.
But with Vinícius looking to stay put - he has a contract at the Santiago Bernabéu until 2025 - Real Madrid might be forced to offer up other players in their squad to bring Mbappé's price down at the end of the season.
Mariano Díaz, Luka Jović and Gareth Bale are among a handful of players who are all facing uncertain futures this summer.
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