How Vinícius Júnior helped bring Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid
- Vinícius Júnior disclosed he played a key role in convincing Kylian Mbappé to join Real Madrid, joking that he acted like his “agent” during the transfer process
- Mbappé completed his long-awaited move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 and has since scored 82 goals in 90 appearances, becoming a key figure for Madrid
- Vinícius also admitted he helped persuade Jude Bellingham to join, while both stars have downplayed any talk of rivalry between them
Vinícius Júnior has revealed the role he played in helping Real Madrid secure the signing of Kylian Mbappé, joking that he acted as the forward’s “agent” during the transfer process.
Mbappé finally completed his long-anticipated move to the Santiago Bernabéu in 2024, ending years of speculation linking him with a switch from Paris Saint-Germain. Since arriving in Spain, the World Cup winner has made an immediate impact, scoring 82 goals in 90 appearances across all competitions, including 38 this season alone. He also claimed La Liga’s Golden Boot last term and currently leads the scoring charts again.
Real Madrid continue to push for major honours both domestically and in Europe, with Mbappé leading the charge in attack. The club worked tirelessly to bring him in, eventually capitalising on the opportunity when his contract at PSG expired. He joined as a free agent, signing a lucrative deal and fulfilling a long-held dream of representing the Spanish giants.
However, Mbappé’s arrival was not just down to club negotiations. Vinícius admitted he personally encouraged the move, regularly reaching out to the French star to convince him to join. Speaking to Ibai Llanos, the Brazilian also revealed he played a similar role in attracting Jude Bellingham to Madrid.
“Every summer I wrote to him: ‘When are you coming?’ I acted as an agent,” Vinícius said. “With Bellingham I did too. I want to play with the best to have more options to win. We spend more time with each other than with our family, so we have to have a good relationship.”
There had been speculation about a strained relationship between Mbappé and Vinícius, with both players seen as competing for a leading role in the team. However, those claims have consistently been downplayed.
Mbappé himself dismissed the rumours, insisting their bond has grown stronger. “I have a very good relationship with Vinícius. Much better this year—we’ve gotten to know each other more. He’s a great player and, as a person, a very good one,” he said.
He added that media attention often exaggerates tensions between high-profile teammates. “Two famous players on the same team sell a lot of papers. We know people talk about us all the time. I normalise it. The day there’s a real problem—hopefully it never happens—I’ll say it’s serious. This isn’t serious.”
Source: YEN.com.gh
