Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior was enduring a difficult season under Xabi Alonso, and as things became ugly when the manager and face of the franchise did not see eye to eye, there were increasing rumblings of a possible departure with no renewal agreed and the Saudi Pro League giants continuing to throw around insane financial figures in the rumor mill.
However, transfer rumors involving Vinicius Jr. have existed in the background for years with nobody seriously entertaining an exit both due to the two time Champions League hero's importance to Real Madrid, as well as president Florentino Perez's love for the gem he believed in from Flamengo nearly a decade ago.
Flo never wavered despite the rumors, and now the trend is clearly towards an extension agreement between Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr. - one that Vini will hope pays him on par with Kylian Mbappe to affirm the two forwards as equals in the eyes of the best club in the world.
Vinicius Jr. is ready to renew
Finally, with all the speculation still existing, Vinicius Jr. addressed the contract renewal rumors with a very interesting statement in the press conference before the Champions League title against European Clasico rivals Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian icon said, via the Madrid Zone, "We will agree my renewal at the right time with the club."
Notice the word choice. "Will agree". It is not a matter of "if" anymore or hammering things out. Vini Jr. is basically coming right out and saying that Real Madrid and him are on the same page and that it's just a matter of timing as to why a renewal has not been signed and announced to the public.
It may be that Vinicius just wants to focus on this grueling season ahead with Real Madrid not mathematically out of the La Liga title race against reigning winners Barcelona, plus they are right in the thick of the Champions League after convincingly eliminating one rival in Manchester City before facing off against former Citizen Vincent Kompany and his Bayern Munich juggernaut.
Vinicius Jr. has returned to form under Alvaro Arbeloa recently, and it is not a secret that he and this Spanish manager who won La Decima get along a whole lot better than he did with the previous one. Perhaps that was all Vini needed to slip out of the spiral, and it looks like most fans have flipped away from their bizarre turn against him, too.