Manchester United 'willing to pay £130m for Vinicius Junior'

The English giants are believed to have been in the running to sign Vinicius from Flamengo in the early stages of his career, but it was Real Madrid that secured his services in 2018.

The 23-year-old has developed into one of the leading attackers in world football during his time at Bernabeu, representing Los Blancos on 241 occasions, scoring 68 goals and registering 68 assists in the process.

Vinicius has had his injury problems this season, but he has still managed nine goals and four assists in 16 appearances, including a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.

The Brazil international signed a new contract with Carlo Ancelotti's side last October, with his terms running until June 2027, and his release clause is set at €1bn (£860m).

However, according to Defensa Central, Man United have made it clear that they are willing to pay €150m (£130m) to secure his services.

The report claims that Real Madrid view Vinicius as 'non-transferable', but the club's president Florentino Perez has not turned his back on a deal due to the finances involved.

A big-money exit for Vinicius would put the Spanish giants in a strong position when it comes to bringing in Kylian Mbappe, who is widely expected to move to the club on a free transfer.

Mbappe will command a substantial signing-on fee and wage packet, should he decide to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid, and Vinicius's departure would free up valuable funds.

Vinicius currently operates in Mbappe's favourite position - the left-sided forward role - and a departure has therefore not been ruled out despite his importance.

The South American has scored over 20 goals in his last two seasons at Real Madrid and is on course to make it three campaigns in a row, with plenty of football left to play this term.

Vinicius has won 10 trophies during his time in the Spanish capital, including two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

Bringing in Vinicius would create an interesting dilemma for Man United, meanwhile, as Marcus Rashford favours that position, and Alejandro Garnacho has also impressed down the left this term.

The 20-time English champions are expected to be active during this summer's transfer window, with incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe said to be targeting a centre-forward, central midfielder, centre-back and a right-back as part of another rebuild.