Cristiano Ronaldo criticised by Saudis who say £850m transfer eclipses legend's salary

Cristiano Ronaldo's salary could be eclipsed by Vinicius Junior's contract if the Brazilian leaves Real Madrid for the Saudi Pro League, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly launching a speculative move for the winger.

Vinicius has been the star of the Real Madrid team for a few years now. But the summer arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and his compatriot Endrick have cast doubt on his long-term future.

Saudi clubs are hoping to take advantage of the uncertainty by offering a huge transfer for the 24-year-old. A possible deal would make Ronaldo's salary tiny.

According to ESPN, PIF are willing to pay Vinicius £300 million a year on a long-term deal. This figure does not include additional bonuses and would make the striker the highest-paid sports star in history.

PIF holds a majority stake in four Pro League clubs – Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. This raises the possibility that Vinicius could play alongside Ronaldo for the Riyadh-based club on a much more lucrative salary.

Ronaldo, who has scored 49 goals in 47 appearances since joining Al-Nassr from Manchester United in December 2022, is said to earn £177million-a-year.

PIF have reportedly held talks with Real Madrid over a potential move for Vinicius. However, Los Blancos are unwilling to sell one of their best players and will demand his £850m release clause is paid in full.

Vinicius joined the Spanish giants from Flamengo in 2018 and has become a success at the Bernabeu. He has scored 83 goals in 264 appearances and will hope to form a prolific partnership with Mbappe this season.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will need to manage his attackers intelligently this season. Vinicius and Mbappe are expected to start, but they both prefer to play on the left side of the attack. Endrick and Rodrygo are also expected to get plenty of game time throughout the season.

Real do not have a proven centre-forward. Joselu, a former Newcastle and Stoke player, joined Qatari club Al-Ghafara earlier this summer. The 34-year-old, who stunned Bayern Munich with two late goals in last season's Champions League semi-final, has played little more than a supporting role in the Spanish capital.

The highlight of the summer was the free transfer of Kylian Mbappe. The 25-year-old France captain left Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract in his homeland, ending a years-long saga by joining Real.