A high-profile party marked the end of Vinicius Júnior’s vacation, who is expected in Valdebebas (he landed yesterday at Barajas) with open arms after a disappointing World Cup both personally and collectively. Right now, he is the footballer who attracts all the attention due to a renewal that has been delayed over time amid false promises that “everything was going to be fixed”; although, for the moment, with only 11 months left on his contract and becoming a free agent, he remains in limbo. Arsenal is lurking, and from England, they indicate that the option is increasingly solid. On Saturday, Mikel Arteta was asked after the 1-4 loss to Girona, and his response added more fuel to the fire. “We are very active, trying to improve and evolve the team. We are not going to stand idly by, and we are very ambitious about what we want to achieve, we already see our rivals,” he commented. When directly questioned about the Brazilian, he made a half-joking grimace and quickly walked away.
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The Vinícius case defies any logic or falls into the realm of common sense, depending on how you look at it. Renewed in 2022 for five seasons (the figures that emerged, published by As, are that he would earn 75 million net in that period, an average of 15 per season), he began contract extension talks in 2025, but initially, there were significant economic differences. The Brazilian, who has accumulated 375 matches with Real Madrid with 128 goals and 100 assists, and was also key in the last two Champions League titles, asked to be placed on the same level as Kylian Mbappé, the star signing of the 2024-25 season who has yet to contribute collectively as expected beyond his goals, an unquestionable quality.
The differences narrowed (the forward would settle for about 20 million net annually) and the statements hinted at his imminent renewal. On April 6, on the eve of the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern, the Brazilian, who acts as captain, explained the following: “I hope to be able to stay here for a long time. I have one year left on my contract, and we are very calm because I have the president’s confidence. We are calm and know what we want, and at the right moment, we will make the renewal. I want to stay here a long time because it is the club of my dreams, and I am very happy,” he assured. There was no further news until the election campaign, in which Florentino Pérez, who spoke more in two weeks than in ten years, gave his version: “There is time, I hope he stays for life. He is a star. (…) If he doesn’t want to be at Madrid and wants to sign with another, he will be free to do so. I am not going to force him to anything. Money will not be the most important thing, it never has been,” a more open, uncertain response. Vinícius himself, asked already in the United States during the World Cup, said that the decision would be made upon his return. And that moment has arrived.
There are other voices familiar with the player’s strategy who suspect that the flirtations with Arsenal are a tactic to put even more pressure on Madrid. That the will of the Rio de Janeiro native remains to stay at Real Madrid and that, if there is no change of script, that will be the case. This already happened when tensions with Xabi Alonso surfaced last autumn: the player’s environment subtly communicated that if the Basque coach stayed, he would not renew. Ultimately, it did not reach that point because Xabi Alonso, now at Chelsea, was dismissed after the Super Cup.
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The Brazilian star, singled out by fans last season (he was the most booed), will also have his first face-to-face with José Mourinho. The coach, very active and at times critical in televised images during his team’s debut against Fiorentina, repeatedly demanded defensive commitment from his forwards. Something non-negotiable, as it was also with Xabi Alonso.
The Athletic reported that Arsenal could offer 145 million. A huge sum for Madrid considering that in a year the Brazilian would leave for free.
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