As players participating in the World Cup slowly look to return to Santiago Bernabeu in preparation for the season ahead, Real Madrid have some important decisions to make.

For one, their previous captain, Dani Carvajal, has left the club, which creates a vacancy for a new club captain. Federico Valverde is the clearest candidate, having deputised for Carvajal in the past.

But a recent chain of events has led to Real Madrid harbouring doubts over Valverde.

Real Madrid do not see Valverde as captain

According to journalist Jose Felix Diaz, speaking on the Ruben Martin livestream, Real Madrid do not see Valverde as a captain, thus casting significant doubt over what had seemed a straightforward decision.

This comes on the back of earlier reports that suggested Florentino Perez harbours reservations about the midfielder’s captaincy credentials.

It is a surprising development, given Valverde has long been viewed as one of the future leaders of the club, thanks to his seniority, passion and professionalism.

What led to these doubts?

Part of the reluctance may stem from a difficult period for Valverde, both on and off the pitch.

The midfielder was involved in a bust-up with Aurelien Tchouameni last season, an incident that saw both players fined half a million euros.

Valverde was also identified as a central figure in the dressing-room unrest that engulfed Xabi Alonso’s short-lived tenure, having publicly appeared to resist playing at right-back before Alonso’s dismissal.

His relationship with Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa also broke down, with Valverde among the players who confronted the coach before their decisive World Cup match against Spain, a tournament that ended in a group-stage exit for the Uruguayans.

Those episodes, combined, may have contributed to the doubts now surrounding his candidacy.

The Vinicius factor

Complicating matters further is the reported desire of Vinicius Jr to wear the armband.

The Brazilian is understood to be very keen on becoming a Real Madrid captain and in many ways, the attacker deserves it.

Vinicius is one of the club’s global faces and a player Perez has defended strongly for years.

Handing him a greater leadership role could help strengthen his bond with the club during ongoing contract renewal talks, though Real Madrid will be wary of allowing the captaincy to become a bargaining chip in those negotiations.