Agent: Vinicius Only Wants to Stay, His Story with Real Madrid Is Like a Romantic Movie

Roc Nation director Thiago Freitas exclusively revealed the stories behind Vinicius' renewal and Diomande's transfer, describing Vinicius' relationship with Real Madrid as a three-part romantic movie.

Many people may never have heard this name, while others may find it familiar. But in reality, Roc Nation has become one of the most influential agencies today and is preparing to change everything. Roc Nation Sports describes itself as a sports management company, founded by American artist Jay-Z, providing representation services for professional athletes. Its clients include NBA star LaMelo Ball and NFL stars De'Von Achane and Kyler Murray.

Thiago Freitas exclusively explained to Marca: "Roc Nation's sports division was born from Jay-Z's passion for sports. It initially focused on mainstream American sports before expanding into international sports." The subsidiary was established in 2023, when Roc Nation International acquired the agency Freitas worked for in Brazil. Through the merger, they brought more than 20 years of experience working with Brazilian players into Roc Nation's football business.

Since 2023, the agency has grown exponentially in football and has entered the top ten most powerful football agencies ranked by CIES (International Centre for Sports Studies), based on the estimated transfer values of their players. Behind these figures are players such as Vinicius, Yan Diomande and Endrick.

This summer was undoubtedly a turning point for Roc Nation. Four of its seven players with the highest market values received new contracts: Vinicius signed a long-term renewal with Real Madrid; Diomande became Real Madrid's most expensive signing in club history; Martinelli moved to Saudi Arabia for €70 million; and Malick Fofana joined Sunderland for €30 million on the final day of the transfer window.

However, their work is not only about securing the best contracts for athletes, but also about empowering them. "We hope to bring much of American sports culture into football, allowing athletes to become idols off the pitch as well, not just players. The world we live in is completely different from five, ten, fifteen or twenty years ago, and there is still much to change. Today, every celebrity is also a role model for many people," Freitas said.

Among all these operations, Vinicius' renewal was the most challenging for Roc Nation. The soap opera can be traced back several years and finally ended in August this year with the Brazilian extending his contract with Real Madrid until 2032. "The process was led by our CEO Federico Pena. The deal between Vinicius and Real Madrid is like a three-part love movie. During the film, there are conflicts, doubts and obstacles. But everyone knows the ending: a passionate kiss and a happy conclusion," Thiago Freitas said exclusively.

The Roc Nation operations director made it clear that Vinicius wanted to stay and did not consider other options: "Just look back at all the players who have played for Real Madrid over the past 20 or 30 years; nobody wanted to leave."

In addition, Vinicius' renewal was not the only agreement between Roc Nation and Real Madrid. The agency also represents Yan Diomande, who has become Real Madrid's most expensive signing in history. They discovered him while he was still at Leipzig. "We have always looked at the stars, but when you look at the stars, occasionally a comet appears. Yan is like a comet among the stars, a Halley's comet that appears once every eight to ten years. When we had the chance to work with him, we had no hesitation."

For this reason, they moved to Germany and created a tailored development plan for Diomande, aiming to increase his value and eventually persuade Leipzig to let him leave. "A player of this level is someone every club wants to keep. We knew completing this deal would be a huge challenge and a difficult task."

Thiago also revealed the competition between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain for the player: "Many of the most important, wealthiest and top clubs in the world showed interest in Yan. But I have always said that for a player, Real Madrid is the Pele of clubs. When you talk to a player about clubs, it is similar to talking about Pele with someone who played alongside him. When Real Madrid showed interest, other clubs had no chance. The player wanted to come to Real Madrid, and we had to create the conditions for him to come."

For players, Real Madrid is the Pele of clubs.

Thiago Freitas knows Diomande very well and believes he can bring something different to Real Madrid: "Like every magic trick, we do not know when or where it will happen. Yan is a player who can bring many surprises to Real Madrid. Real Madrid face opponents in most matches who aim not to lose. Therefore, Madrid often need someone who can break tactical structures and create unexpected moments for opponents. Yan has all of these qualities, and he is an ambitious young man. To surpass expectations at Real Madrid, you must have great ambition."

For Roc Nation, Thiago Freitas concluded that the signing is highly significant, whether because of its symbolic value, the club involved, or because it is the most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history: "Without a doubt, this is a milestone in world football, because Real Madrid is the club that has created milestones in the 21st century. Real Madrid leads the direction of world football. We believe that in two, three or four years, other major clubs—clubs like Real Madrid—will look at Yan's transfer as a reference. Not only because of the fee, but also because the signing involves a young player with a relatively short professional career."