Real Madrid have just got their new year made. You see, there are many things apart from just what goes on on the field to manage at a club of this level.
When you have world-class players on your roll, you also get world-class outbursts. Managing egos is a real task that a club at the level of Real Madrid has to tackle week in, week out.
The problem that Real Madrid had recently was with the renewal of their franchise player, Vinícius Jr. With the onset of 2026, there remain only about 18 months before his contract expires.
And each passing month weakens Los Blancos’ position to retain the Brazilian. So what was stopping them from renewing him further ahead? A discourse that did not seem to be settling between the player and the club, until now.
This Vinícius Júnior U-turn is a pleasant surprise for Real Madrid
As per reports from August 2025, Real Madrid and Vinícius found themselves in a deadlock at the negotiation table when the forward quoted a demand of about 25 million net per season in his new contract, after turning down the 20 million net proposal that Real Madrid put on the table.
For weeks following that, the club and the player could not come to terms in any way. And the situation only worsened with his declining performance not giving Real Madrid enough confidence on whether to give in or not, and his supposed fallout with Xabi Alonso in the dressing room. The media didn’t rule out the possibility of a departure, even.
But as per new reports from AS, things have gotten better in the last few days. And it has come to light that Vinícius has lowered his salary demands from what he previously quoted after the Club World Cup.
At present, Real Madrid and the player only have a difference of 15% in their salary negotiations, a number that, as per the report, can easily be overcome with more dialogue.
And so it turns out, Vinícius might not be leaving as easily as one would think. Or to put it this way, he might not be leaving for salary reasons. His performance and locker room fiasco still remain relevant. But it is safe to say that a major stumbling block has been cleared out.
Moving forward, Vinícius needs to earn back the trust of the Bernabéu, which recently whistled him for a constant show of decline. The way, of course, is to perform better. I am a staunch believer in the fact that the presence of Kylian Mbappé is not threatening, as is being said, but only complementary to his stature if used the right way.