Real Madrid News
Arbeloa’s continuity could be key for Real Madrid to secure superstar’s renewal – report
Real Madrid have been working behind the scenes for a while now to tie down key superstar Vinicius Jr. to a new contract.
The Brazilian international’s current deal runs out in 2027, meaning he will be entering the final year of his contract in the summer – a scenario that Los Blancos had been keen on avoiding.
But negotiations over a renewal hit roadblocks owing to the winger’s salary and bonus demands, while his difficult relationship with former manager Xabi Alonso only served to complicate matters further.
However, things are once again looking up for Vinicius and Real Madrid with Alvaro Arbeloa at the helm now.
Arbeloa’s presence could be key to Vinicius’ renewal
In fact, according to journalist Marcos Benito on El Chiringuito, Arbeloa’s continuity at Real Madrid beyond this season could be critical to Vinicius Jr.’s renewal.
The 25-year-old megastar has a lot of confidence in the current manager, who has shown great trust in him and helped him recover top form after going through a difficult phase over the past year and a half.
Things had gotten particularly grim for Vinicius during Alonso’s tenure earlier this season, leading to genuine doubts about his future at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But, with Arbeloa, things have taken a turn for the better and the possibility of a summer departure for the Brazilian forward is now firmly off the table. And, the former defender’s continued presence as head coach could be key to secure Vinicius’ extension.
Florentino Perez, for his part, is determined to renew Vinicius, and the player himself is very happy with the Real Madrid president and has never had any issues with him.
With Arbeloa gaining more and more support in the locker room, the possibility of him continuing at the Bernabeu beyond the current season has grown strong. And, it might end up being a decisive factor in Vinicius’ renewal.
Jose Mourinho is looking for solutions to Real Madrid’s problems, and the extended international break has given him time to analyse the team in depth.
Now, according to Defensa Central, one of the conclusions from his assessment concerns Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler, the players Mourinho believes should be central to the team’s football.
Although they operate in different positions, the manager wants all four to take a step forward on the pitch.
He wants them to push their lines higher and move closer to the opposition penalty area, believing this would help Real Madrid both defensively and offensively.
Mourinho wants to pin opponents inside their own box
Mourinho wants Real Madrid’s play to go through Bellingham, Valverde, Bernardo and Guler, but he has also asked them to start creating attacks much closer to the opposition area and to link up more closely with the forwards.
The idea is to make the team more compact in possession and force opponents deeper into their own half.
If Real Madrid’s midfield can build play much higher up the pitch, opponents will have to retreat. That would allow Mourinho’s side to improve their pressing, make it more effective and increase the volume of attacks.
As a result, Real Madrid should create considerably more opportunities to score.
A compact Real Madrid for 90 minutes
Mourinho wants his team to stay together and remain compact throughout the full 90 minutes, rather than doing so only in short periods.
Defensively, this would reduce the spaces available for opponents to build their attacks and could force them to play more directly, looking to exploit the space behind the defensive line.
That is an area where the pace and defensive ability of Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, can provide protection.
The same compactness could also benefit Real Madrid in attack by keeping opponents pinned back. Mourinho wants to use the quality of his players to create a greater number of dangerous situations.
Mourinho’s idea is that Real Madrid’s most talented players must push the team forward and help them put opponents under pressure much closer to the box.
