As contract renewal negotiations with Vinícius Júnior remain at a standstill, Real Madrid is quietly reviving its "Haaland plan". If the future of the Brazilian star cannot be resolved smoothly, club executives have identified Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as their top transfer target.
Vinícius’ current contract expires in 2026, but he and his representatives hope to secure a salary comparable to that of Kylian Mbappé following a renewal. Real Madrid has reacted coolly to this request and has temporarily put the renewal talks on hold. Meanwhile, lucrative offers from Saudi Arabian clubs continue to tempt the Brazilian international.
If Real Madrid ultimately decides to let Vinícius go, the transfer to Saudi Arabia would bring in a huge financial injection—funds that could prove crucial to realizing Florentino Pérez’s latest "Galácticos dream": building a dual-core attacking partnership of "Mbappé + Haaland".Under the proposed plan, Haaland would play as the center-forward, while Mbappé would return to his preferred left-wing position—a combination that would grant Real Madrid devastating attacking firepower.
However, signing Haaland will not be an easy task. Manchester City only extended the Norwegian’s contract until 2034 this summer and inserted a very high release clause for him. But from Real Madrid’s perspective, luring Mbappé away from Paris Saint-Germain last year was also fraught with difficulties, and Florentino Pérez still believes a transfer is always possible.
As for Vinícius, the club has set a deadline for the renewal talks in the summer of 2025. If no agreement is reached by then, Real Madrid intends to sell him in advance rather than watch him leave on a free transfer in 2026.
