There is still a lot of optimism that Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior will be able to strike an agreement on a new contract despite the demands the Brazilian superstar has for bonuses akin to what Kylian Mbappe got as a free agent, which is downright unprecedented for a player who is signing a new contract, as well as wages close to what the Frenchman earns per season.
That is a hard bargain to drive, and even though there is legitimate goodwill between Real Madrid and their two time Champions League winnning left winger to get something done officially, when other players are involved in a deal, the obvious suddenly becomes difficult.
Plus, Arsenal are putting a lot of pressure on Real Madrid and Vinicius here, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta both very much on the same page in trying to get this blockbuster deal over the line. If Vinicius Jr. were to move to Arsenal from Real Madrid, here's how the Royal White starting XI would look.
GK Thibaut Coutois
LB Marc Cucurella
CB Eder Militao
CB Ibrahima Konate
RB Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alvaro Carreras is more likely to get minutes at left back if Vinicius Junior goes and either Yan Diomande or even Rodrygo Goes plays on the left wing, but either way, Marc Cucurella is clearly the superior player and cost 60 million euros before he won the World Cup for a reason. The rest of the lineup is set, too, even with Denzel Dumfries pushing for minutes.
DM Rodri
LCM Jude Bellingham
RCM Fede Valverde
Since there is so much smoke linking Real Madrid to Rodri, we'll just slot the Spanish international into this XI for now, though Aurelien Tchouameni is technically the current No. 6 for Real Madrid. Deciding the rest of the midfield and where they play is tough, and while Arda Guler is too good to bench, Jose Mourinho does not have a choice with how classy and how well rounded Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham are together.
They could play Fede and Rodri as a double pivot with Jude as a modern No. 10, but then you lose that width Fede brings in a wide No. 8 role, as well as the full Jude experience in the other phases when you play him as an attacking midfielder.
LW Kylian Mbappe
CF Endrick
RW Yan Diomande
We all know how much Kylian Mbappe is itching to play on the left wing again, so while Yan Diomande could easily shift to that side of the formation or Rodrygo Goes could move in there, too, the drop off between Diomande and the others on the right wing means that the incoming Ivorian international is going to stay there.
Endrick gets the nod over Carlos Espi because of his excitement and upside, though that is the real difficult position battle here. And while Mbappe could just as easily play in the middle to accomodate Rodrygo in his best position, it's hard to know exactly what Rodrygo offers on the left wing until Madridistas see him after this ACL tear.
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