Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid director sends strong warning over Vinicius’ contract renewal – ‘Do not let his agents control you’
The debate surrounding Vinicius Jr. and his long-term future at Real Madrid continues to gather momentum, with contract talks now firmly under the spotlight.
With Vinicius tied to the club until 2027, questions are beginning to surface about whether a renewal will arrive smoothly or turn into a prolonged saga.
One of the strongest voices to weigh in on the issue is Predrag Mijatovic, who knows the club from the inside, both as a former player and a former sporting director.
Speaking on Carrusel Deportivo (h/t Mundo Deportivo), he did not hold back when analysing the current situation and the demands reportedly being discussed.
Warning to Real Madrid and Vinicius
Mijatovic first addressed the rumours suggesting Vinicius could be aiming for a contract on the same level as football’s biggest earners.
He questioned the logic behind such expectations and what they might imply about the player’s intentions. He stated,
“If he is now asking for the same contract as Mbappe or Messi, it is clear that he does not want to renew; that is obvious.
“We are not children, please. And if he wants to finish his contract at Real Madrid, that’s fine.
“The club has to be above any player, whoever they may be, and all players have to accept one thing that Madrid will continue to win with Vinicius, without Vinicius, because Real Madrid always wins.”
More to the story
He then went a step further, outlining what he believes Real Madrid must do if negotiations fail to move in the right direction.
From his perspective, the club cannot afford to lose control of the situation, regardless of the player’s status or popularity.
“Real Madrid always has to be above any player, any figure in football, because it is the biggest club in the world.
“If Vinicius refuses to renew his contract, Real Madrid has to do everything possible to transfer him. Under no circumstances can you allow a player or his representatives to control you,” he warned.
While Vinicius remains a key figure on the pitch and a symbol of the current generation, the message from a former insider is that loyalty to the club’s structure and values outweighs any single name.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
