Real Madrid has entered dangerous territory. In the offices at Valdebebas, they know that Vinícius Júnior's contract renewal has become a thorny issue.
What was initially supposed to be a simple procedure to secure one of the club's most important players has gone awry, significantly so. The reason: money. Not just any money, but the kind coming from Saudi Arabia, ready to shake up the market.
According to Josep Pedrerol on El Chiringuito, Real Madrid has already decided not to give in to financial blackmail.
Florentino Pérez, a staunch defender of the squad's sustainability, has drawn a very clear line. Vinícius won't earn more than Mbappé. If he doesn't like it, the door is open.
Saudi Arabia applies pressure… and Vinícius responds
The emergence of Saudi Arabia has been key. Vinícius has received a massive offer from the Middle East, with figures that are impossible for any European club to match.
The Brazilian hasn't accepted it, but he has used it as a bargaining chip. His message to the club is clear: "If you want me here, make up for what I'm giving up elsewhere."
At Valdebebas, neither the player's tone nor his strategy has been well received. Vinícius wants a raise that would put him above everyone, even Kylian Mbappé, the star signing of the summer.
But at Real Madrid, they are clear that the new salary structure revolves around the Frenchman, not the Brazilian. Breaking that structure now would be a mistake with unpredictable consequences.
Florentino sets the limit
The president is clear: no player is above the club. No matter how important Vinícius has been in recent years, not even he can demand better treatment than Mbappé.
"Madrid won't go overboard," Pedrerol has repeated, making the club's official position clear.
In fact, sources close to the club confirm that if Vinícius keeps his stance, a sale this very summer can't be ruled out.
Although there is currently no intention to transfer him, at Real Madrid they no longer view a departure negatively if an offer comes in around €150 million. Saudi Arabia can pay that amount… and more.
Tense atmosphere at Valdebebas
The locker room isn't calm either. Vinícius's standoff has created discomfort among some of the key players.
The Brazilian has gone from being a key piece to a player under scrutiny, especially after Mbappé's arrival. The Frenchman has fit perfectly into the team's dynamic, while Vinícius seems increasingly out of place.
Florentino has already spoken with his entourage: if he doesn't accept the conditions, he'll be sold. No drama and no pressure, but with firmness.
Meanwhile, Edu Aguirre admitted on El Chiringuito that Vinícius isn't well. Neither physically nor mentally. He explained it as follows:
Edu Aguirre: "He's down physically and mentally"
"Vinícius is down. I don't know what's wrong with him. I want to think that physically he isn't well.
He's not the Vinícius from the Champions League comebacks who took down PSG, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City in extra time. Nor the one who forced rival full-backs to be substituted."
That Vinícius would take on defenders 1,000 times, and maybe get past them 500 times. The current Vinícius not only can't pull off a dribble, he doesn't make runs, he doesn't try a thousand dribbles, he asks to be substituted…
I want to think that since he isn't physically up to it, he isn't mentally either."