Official: Real Madrid sign Vinicius Tobias on loan from Shakhtar
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 1 Apr 2022 07:31 CDT
- 3 min read
Real Madrid have completed the loan signing of defender Vinicius Tobias from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian club has confirmed.
Los Blancos have taken advantage of the relaxation in transfer registration allowed by UEFA and FIFA to accommodate players who wish to leave Ukraine in view of the ongoing war with Russia.
Vinicius Tobias will join Real Madrid on a temporary basis but is set to be with the Bernabeu side through until the summer of 2023.
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In a statement, Shakhtar said: "He will play for the Madrid club until the end of the 2022/23 season on loan. Under the terms of the agreement, Real also has the option to buy the player.
"Vinicius joined Shakhtar in January 2022 and trained with the team, but did not make his official debut. He turned 18 on February 23."
Indeed, Vinicius had been at Shakhtar only a matter of weeks before the outbreak of war, having signed from Internacional for €6 million in the middle of January.
Arsenal and Manchester City had previously been linked with the teenage Brazilian.
What other players have left Ukraine?
Real Madrid, who have pledged €1 million to help the humanitarian crisis that has evolved in Ukraine in recent weeks, are the highest-profile club to have taken advantage of the ability to register players from the country.
Shakhtar, who have been displaced from their Donetsk home since 2020 because of war in the Donbas region, have lost several other members of their squad in recent days. Winger Tete moved to Lyon on loan on Thursday while centre-back Maycon completed a switch to Corinthians on a similar basis.
Equally, Junior Moraes moved back to Brazil to join Corinthians on a free transfer.
All of these players had a role as the club qualified for the Champions League this season, during which they twice faced Madrid, losing 5-0 at home and 2-1 away.
