Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed that Vinicius Junior was once close to joining the Catalan giants before eventually ending up at Real Madrid.The Brazilian superstar, now one of Madrid's defining players, completed his move from Flamengo in 2017 after Los Blancos struck a deal worth around €45 million for the then-16-year-old wonderkid. He officially joined the club a year later, once he turned 18.Real(ity) Madrid keeps delivering madness: Mbappe starts war with coach ArbeloaBut according to Bartomeu, Barcelona believed they were leading the race for Vinicius before Madrid swooped in with a stronger offer."Vinicius was a player we were interested in," Bartomeu told ESPN Deportes. "We spoke with his family and his agents, and there was a preliminary agreement."The former Barcelona president admitted, however, that Real Madrid ultimately moved faster and more aggressively to secure the deal."Madrid probably made a better offer than Barcelona and signed Vinicius," he added.##NAJAVA_MECA_9754037##Since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu, Vinicius has evolved into one of world football's biggest stars, scoring 127 goals for Real Madrid and becoming one of the faces of the club's modern era.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 37Sunday20.00: (2.25) Ath.Bilbao (3.15) Celta (3.60) 20.00: (1.77) Atl.Madrid (3.75) Girona (4.50) 20.00: (2.30) Elche (2.95) Getafe (3.80)20.00: (2.20) Levante (3.50) Mallorca (3.50)20.00: (2.15) Osasuna (3.45) Espanyol (3.70) 20.00: (3.90) Oviedo (3.50) Alaves (1.95) 20.00: (2.45) Rayo Vallecano (3.40) Villareal (2.85)20.00: (3.15) Sevilla (3.60) Real Madrid (2.25)20.00: (2.25) Sociedad (3.50) Valencia (3.40) 22.15: (1.38) Barcelona (5.60) Betis (6.80) ***odds are subject to change***