Reports suggest that Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr will remain at the Bernabeu ‘beyond this summer’ despite having just 11 months left on his current contract.
Premier League champions Arsenal have been heavily linked with the Brazilian winger, but they now look set to miss out following the intervention of new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.
Unless an agreement on new terms is reached with Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr will see his contract expire and be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2027. The 26-year-old is reported to be seeking a weekly wage higher than top-earner Kylian Mbappe, with commercial rights and image allocations serving as another primary sticking point in negotiations.
With his immediate future unresolved and no contract signed, the Brazilian World Cup star has stayed away from squad training. However, Sky Sports now reports that Vinicius Jr will not leave this summer, putting the matter on hold for the time being.
“The Spanish club have no intention of selling him and are confident he will agree a new contract,” reports Sky Sports.
“New manager Jose Mourinho is understood to value Vinicius highly and wants him to remain one of his top Galacticos.”
Although speculation about a departure from Real Madrid has surfaced, Vinicius Jr remains a highly popular and pivotal figure at the club, making a mutual compromise on his future the most likely scenario.
Real Madrid would prefer to avoid having a key figure enter the final year of his deal, but selling him this summer is equally excluded from the plans under their new manager.
“There is no strong public evidence yet that Vinicius wants to leave Real Madrid for any reason, sporting or otherwise; no quotes, no interviews, no suggestive social media post,” Sky Sports continues.
“Real Madrid and – most importantly – new manager Jose Mourinho want him to stay and agree new terms.
“Club president Florentino Perez is personally involved and has publicly expressed a desire for Vinicius to stay long term. Reports in Spain have long claimed that both parties have indicated a preference for him to remain at the club. Real Madrid do not want him to run down the deal into a free agent situation either.”
Vinicius Jr arrived at Real Madrid from Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo in 2018. He has made over 375 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, lifting three La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies, and two Club World Cups.
With his prime years still ahead of him, it comes as no surprise that Los Blancos are determined to keep their star player. If the financial terms and complex commercial rights details can be resolved, securing a new deal at the Bernabeu is a logical certainty.
