Real Madrid’s contract renewal negotiations with Brazilian winger Vinícius Jr. have currently hit a deadlock, with significant disagreements between the two sides on two key issues: salary terms and the player’s tactical role.
Vinícius Jr. is currently disappointed with Real Madrid, as he believes the club has failed to offer a contract extension that aligns with his contributions and value.
The Brazilian winger’s situation at Real Madrid is growing increasingly difficult. Since Xabi Alonso took over as head coach, Vinícius Jr. has been benched far more frequently than he anticipated, with his playing time significantly restricted. What has frustrated the player even more is that in the previous round of La Liga against RCD Espanyol, Alonso decided to substitute him in the late stages of the match. After the game, the head coach himself admitted that Vinícius Jr. became emotionally upset after being taken off and left the bench directly.
Currently, the player is a stranger to the new coach, and the coach is equally unfamiliar to the player. But the deeper issue lies in Real Madrid’s past protective strategy of "standing against the world for him"—this, to some extent, misled Vinícius Jr., making him mistakenly believe the club would offer him a top-tier contract extension, just as it did for Kylian Mbappé. However, this has not been the case, and now everything is in disarray.
The core of the problem now is his mindset. Under Carlo Ancelotti’s management, Vinícius Jr. was rarely substituted casually and was an absolute core of the team. But now, he has gone from being a star player at Real Madrid to competing with Rodrygo for the starting left-winger position, while Mbappé has fully taken over the team and become its new figurehead. This adaptation period has been extremely tough for him, and I believe he has struggled to adjust his mindset properly.
In life, we will eventually learn that resentment is the most energy-draining emotion. "Feeling angry one moment, calming down the next, wanting to give up at times, lacking focus in training, struggling on the pitch, wearing a grim face, and losing his temper when substituted"—all of these are manifestations of resentment. I believe the root cause of his descent into such a state is that the club has not offered the contract extension he believes he deserves.
