“Vinícius Was Going To Barcelona, But There Was No Transparent Change”

André Cury, the Brazilian businessman and long-time partner of Barcelona, gave an extensive interview to Tuesday's edition of the Spanish newspaper As, in which he ‘lifted the veil’ on the negotiations that led to Vinícius Júnior leaving Flamengo for Real Madrid.

"We met with Vinícius and his agents at their request. We wanted to sign him when I was working for Barcelona. Everything was ready to sign, but in the end the family and the agents changed their minds in a way that wasn't very transparent. But, well, that's soccer," he said.

The Canarinho player also made a curious revelation about his compatriot, this time involving the Merengues... and Paris Saint-Germain: “They tried to sign Mbappé and Neymar, and put Vinícius up as a bargaining chip that season”.

"At the time, Vini wasn't playing yet, but he had a lot of value because he was a winger with a lot of future. I know because Leonardo told us, because he liked Vinícius a lot. When Real Madrid went after Neymar first, and then Mbappé, PSG always asked for Vinícius in return," he said.