Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid reach agreement in principle on new contract

Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid have reached an agreement in principle whereby the Brazilian forward will sign a new four or five-year deal according to Diario AS and Fabrizio Romano.

Vinicius' current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu had been set to expire in the summer of 2024, or two years time, but Madrid were keen to close an extension quickly to avoid any potential problems. An official announcement will be made in July.

Vinicius Junior has been earning about €3m per season. Alongside compatriot Eder Militao he is the lowest-earner in the first-team squad aside from Andriy Lunin and Jesus Vallejo.

That will not be the case for much longer. Vinicius is currently on vacation in the United States and when he returns to the Spanish capital he will put pen to paper on a new deal.

Vinicius contributed 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions last season, exploding into a genuinely world-class attacker.

The final stumbling block is the length of the deal.Vinicius' current contract expires in 2024, with Madrid keen to extend it to 2028.

However, the South American - who is set to more than double his wages from £2.77million per year to £8.67m - would prefer it to run until 2026 or 2027.

But it is the release clause which is the most eye-catching part of the new contract.

Vinicius already has a release clause of £300m but that is set to be increased to a remarkable £870m.

This is being dubbed the "anti-state clause" as it will be an attempt to deter clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle who are funded by the nations of Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively from trying to sign him.

Vinicius joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in 2018 for £38m and has already played 170 times for the club.