Real Madrid News
Real Madrid remain unwilling to meet superstar’s €30m demands as contract standoff continues
In recent days, there have been growing speculations about Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr. closing in on an agreement over a new contract.
The Brazilian forward’s current deal runs out in 2027, meaning he will have only one year left at the end of the season.
There have been hurdles in negotiations, but it was claimed that an agreement in principle had finally been reached.
However, those reports have since been dismissed, with the two parties yet to agree terms on a renewal.
The reality of the situation
Now, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic has come forward with a detailed report that provides an insight into the current reality of the situation between Real Madrid and Vinicius.
As per the update, the 25-year-old attacker is on a net annual salary of around €17 million similar to that of Kylian Mbappe, the highest-paid player at the club.
Real Madrid’s new offer for the former Flamengo wonderkid is worth around €20 million, but his agents are seeking a total package close to €30 million – which includes his base salary, performance-related bonuses and a renewal bonus.
These talks were held last summer and since then there has barely been any progress.
Real Madrid firm
Real Madrid, for their part, have shown no willingness whatsoever to match the demands made by Vinicius’ agents.
The Spanish giants have never offered any player a renewal bonus before and are not looking to change that.
Furthermore, there is strong confidence within the club that the player will end up renewing as he wants to stay and the club also desire the same. The strong bond shared between Vinicius and president Florentino Perez is another factor which makes them confident.
Vinicius, on the other hand, is not hurrying into things even though he has only 14 months left on his current deal.
The 25-year-old attacker is certain about wanting to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu. At the same time, he knows that a strong showing at the World Cup would strengthen his position in negotiations.
For now, the economic difference between the two parties remains significant. And, Real Madrid, known to adhere to a strict wage structure, are not willing to make exceptions.
There have been instances in the past when they have softened their stance, but so far, they have now shown any willingness to do so with Vinicius.
The feud between Real Madrid and the referees has been ongoing for a long time now, and it is clear that the rift between the two cannot be bridged easily.
Los Blancos have made it clear time and time again that the refereeing standards have not been up to the mark in recent times, especially in their games.
Most recently, the Madrid derby generated much debate over the referees’ decision not to send off Atletico Madrid players but promptly send off a Real Madrid star.
Earlier this week, VAR’s prompt intervention in the decision to send Vinicius Jr. off further fueled the conspiracy theories, although it is quite clear that the offense was red-card worthy.
No support from the higher-ups
As reported by Anton Meana (h/t RM4Arab) in a recent update, no one in the Spanish Football Federation understands Real Madrid’s criticism of the refereeing performances and standards.
While they are aware of the conflict between the two parties, they do not see any fault on the referees’ side and support them fully.
In that sense, it is quite clear that the RFEF see Real Madrid’s allegations and criticism to be baseless in what comes as a massive development. After all, having the highest sporting authority in the country invalidate their claims comes as a big blow.
A full-blown war
Despite not having support from authorities or other parties, Real Madrid continue to wage a lone war against the refereeing, and their biggest weapon on that front has been Real Madrid TV.
After the recent win over Villarreal, the club’s media outlet once again launched a strong attack on the referees and called them out on their errors to mount pressure on the officiating system.
Five yellow cards were shown to the Real Madrid players on the night, in addition to Vinicius Jr.’s red card, and even those on the bench and coaching staff were not spared.
Most of the focus of Real Madrid TV, at this point, is on highlighting the double standards of referees and how Los Blancos are punished for instances where other clubs are handed a let-off.
In any case, the feud is not one to die down any time soon.
