Real Madrid pair Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo came close to joining arch-rivals Barcelona before ultimately deciding to move to the Spanish capital, according to their agent Andre Cury.
Vinicius and Rodrygo, both highly promising wingers, made the switch to Real Madrid as teenagers, with agreements in place to join the club upon reaching the age of 18. Vinicius had showcased his talent at Flamengo for two seasons, while Rodrygo had spent nearly three years in Santos’ senior setup before catching the eye of Los Blancos.
Although their journeys at Real Madrid had a rocky start, Vinicius and Rodrygo have since flourished and become two of the club’s star players, collecting numerous trophies along the way. However, Cury revealed in an interview on El Larguero that the duo came close to donning the colors of Barcelona, with Vinicius even confessing his affinity for the Blaugrana.
“We had both players under control. Vinicius’ case was a matter of betrayal because someone very close to me betrayed us in the end. As for Rodrygo, he had everything set, but the club decided against signing him,” explained Cury.
“Vinicius had already agreed to join Barcelona when Madrid found out and invited him to switch sides. The interesting part is that Madrid didn’t really know much about him then. Vinicius eventually chose Madrid based on his agents’ recommendation. We had been working on securing his signature for three years, and it was disheartening to be betrayed by his agents,” Cury added.
Cury also revealed that Vinicius, a self-proclaimed Barcelona fan, was deeply emotional after Barcelona’s memorable 6-1 victory over PSG in 2017. “He told me he cried after that match. He also mentioned that he was a ‘Culer’ and that detail was unknown to many,” Cury stated.
Although Barcelona did not pursue Rodrygo, Cury believed the young Brazilian forward to be more well-rounded than Vinicius. The agent recounted their failed attempts to negotiate with Santos for Rodrygo’s transfer and how Real Madrid eventually swooped in with a more lucrative offer.
“Rodrygo had been practically sealed for Barcelona, but they decided against it. We had ongoing discussions with Vinicius when he betrayed us, so we switched focus to sign Rodrygo instead. Personally, I believe Rodrygo is a more complete player than Vinicius,” Cury revealed.
Cury mentioned that Rodrygo’s father had expressed a willingness to have his son join Barcelona for a lesser fee if Cury could arrange an agreement between Santos and the Catalan club. However, Real Madrid’s financial power ultimately won the race for Rodrygo’s signature.
The revelations by Andre Cury shed light on the near-miss transfers of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, both of whom have gone on to make significant impacts at Real Madrid. These glimpses into the behind-the-scenes negotiations serve as a fascinating insight into the intense competition between the Spanish giants.