Real Madrid could lose one of their star players at some point next year, with Vinicius Junior reportedly refusing to sign a new contract which would keep him at the club for longer.
The Brazilian winger’s current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024, and although there is still more than a year to go, Real certainly won’t want to lose a valuable asset on a free transfer. However, the club aren’t close to reaching an agreement to keep Vinicius Jr at the Bernabeu for longer.
According to reports from Spanish outlet El Desmarque, Real Madrid have been trying to tie the 22-year-old to a new contract for a long time but their efforts have so far proved fruitless.
As the two parties struggle to find an agreement, Vinicius Jr could therefore be on the verge of leaving Real Madrid in just over 12 months in complete freedom. The rest of Europe’s top clubs will therefore likely be on high alert, with the Premier League top flight Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all undoubtedly interested in his services.
The report suggests that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is doing his best to make a breakthrough in the negotiations but he has so far not been blocked as Vinicius Jr’s side are unwilling to lower their demands.
Despite scoring 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions so far this season, Real Madrid are growing increasingly frustrated with the Brazilian.
His lack of defensive diligence is said to hamper the team on the pitch, while the constant noise surrounding his future is not welcome.
With Vinicius Jr potentially set to exit, this could pave the way for Kylian Mbappe to finally move on to Real Madrid who have been watching the cards for so many years now.
Vinicius Jr is still valued at over £100m on Transfermarkt, a considerable amount above the £40m Real Madrid paid Flamengo in 2018.
