£92m duo at risk as Vinicius Junior bombshell deal emerges

Chelsea are keeping tabs on the situation of Brazil ace Vinicius Junior amid growing claims the winger could leave Real Madrid, according to a report.

The Chelsea Chronicle and transfer insider Graeme Bailey claim Enzo Maresca’s side are ‘monitoring’ Vinicius and have him ‘on their radar’. The Blues appear ready to strike if Vinicius pushes for a move away from the Bernabeu.

Madrid have told the player he ‘will be sold’ if he hasn’t penned a new contract by next summer. With Vinicius’ contract expiring in June 2027, Madrid do not want to risk him leaving for free.

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Bailey has told The Chelsea Chronicle that Todd Boehly would love to sign a ‘generational player’ such as Vinicius, even if it goes against the club’s policy of bringing in up-and-coming stars. In particular, Boehly would love the ‘commercial gains’ the lethal attacker would bring to Stamford Bridge.

Vinicius has previously been valued at a world-record fee of more than £200million (€227m / $264m), though Madrid will have to sell him for less if he enters the last 12 months of his contract.

The Saudis hold long-term interest in Vinicius and are open to paying him eye-watering sums, though Bailey insists he ‘does not want to go’ to the Middle East. Instead, Chelsea, City and Liverpool are his main suitors, with a Premier League switch looking increasingly appealing.

According to Bailey, it is still most likely Vinicius will pen a new deal with Madrid as things stand, though he is ‘clearly not happy’ and is ‘unsettled’.

The 25-year-old stormed off the pitch after being substituted for Rodrygo 72 minutes into El Clasico on Sunday.

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Vinicius is reported to have said at the time: “Always me! I’m leaving the team! It’s better if I leave, I’m leaving.”

Bailey and The Chelsea Chronicle are certainly not the first sources to report on Vinicius’ potential Madrid exit, suggesting it is a concrete possibility.

Spanish outlet AS have claimed he is ‘seriously considering’ leaving Madrid for a new chapter in his career.

BBC Sport’s Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague, has stated that Vinicius feels the club ‘isn’t protecting him’ from criticism.

Where would Vinicius fit in at Chelsea?

Vinicius moving to Stamford Bridge would immediately spell trouble for current left wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

The pair only arrived in the summer, with Garnacho costing £40m and Gittens costing £52m, but neither has managed to make a significant impact so far.

Garnacho and Gittens are both 21 and have very high potential – which is exactly why Chelsea signed them.

But Vinicius is streets ahead of the duo. He is already one of the best forwards in the world and was unlucky to miss out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri.

Vinicius has devastating pace and is a deadly finisher, which means he would cause Premier League full-backs nightmares.

Garnacho and Gittens can both be lethal when they are on top form, but they do not have the consistency to get close to Vinicius – yet.

Chelsea have already dropped Raheem Sterling down to the reserves, while Mykhailo Mudryk is still waiting to see if he will be banned after failing a drugs test.

If Chelsea snare Vinicius in a blockbuster deal, then either Garnacho or Gittens could be the next left winger to fall down Maresca’s pecking order.

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