The Time Bomb Between Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior

In the past, Vinicius Junior had a special relationship with Real Madrid. That romanticism is now a memory as their relationship has soured. Starting with issues regarding contract extension, Vinicius is increasingly uncomfortable at Real. This season, he has yet to receive full trust to play.

The deteriorating relationship between Real and Vinicius is suspected to be a ticking time bomb. Media outlets in Spain have begun to speculate that Vinicius may leave Real during the mid-season transfer window.

Since donning the Real uniform, Vinicius's ego has gradually grown. He feels like a megastar after becoming the mainstay of Real's attacking line following the departure of Karim Benzema. Moreover, after Vinicius played a crucial role in leading Real to win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga two seasons ago.

The special treatment of Real towards Vinicius in the past has backfired. Thanks to his significant contributions on the field, the President of Real, Florentino Perez, seems to have placed Vinicius above the club.

The arrival of Kylian Mbappe, who receives the highest salary among the players, has disturbed Vinicius's ego. Feeling that he has contributed, he is tempted to earn an income that surpasses Mbappe's.

That factor is what caused the negotiations for Vinicius's contract extension to be protracted. His contract with Real still has a remaining duration until 2027. However, when Real presented the contract extension, Vinicius chose to postpone discussions until his demands for a sky-high salary were met.

"He (Vinicius) is confident that his contributions deserve a much higher figure and has stated that accepting an annual salary offer of 20 million euros (Rp 390 billion) would not align with his market value," said Spanish journalist Tono Garcia during a discussion on the El Larguero program in early August 2025.

When contract negotiations reached an impasse, Vinicius became increasingly uncomfortable within the team. The reason was that he began to find it difficult to perform fully since the arrival of right winger Franco Mastantuono.

The addition of a new player in the attacking line has led coach Xabi Alonso to implement a rotation policy. Mastantuono has begun to earn trust, resulting in Rodrygo losing his position on the right wing. Consequently, Alonso has shifted Rodrygo to the left wing, a position that has traditionally belonged to Vinicius.

Vinicius struggles to understand that he's no longer a top player. He's now nothing more than Mbappé's winger.

The situation ultimately resulted in Vinicius never completing a full season this year. Out of a total of six matches for Real so far, Vinicius has come on as a substitute twice and has been trusted as a starting player in the remaining matches. Although he has started four times, he has always been substituted, thus never finishing a match.

The peak moment occurred when Vinicius lost his temper after being substituted again during the match against Espanyol. Alonso attempted to calm him down, but it did not help much. Vinicius was caught on camera throwing a fit and tossing a bottle while walking to the dressing room.

"Vinicius is struggling to understand that he's no longer a top player. He's now nothing more than Mbappé's winger. He's struggling to understand that he no longer holds star status," said Spanish journalist Miguel Angel Toribio, as quoted by Marca.

Alonso does not provide special treatment to Vinicius as his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti, did. Until the end of the season, Xabi is believed not to grant Vinicius any privileges just to make one player comfortable.

Regardless, Alonso's philosophy of the game emphasizes team collectivity. He will only play those who are deemed ready and willing to follow his instructions. There are no stars within the team. Every player must be willing to be substituted out in order to execute the coach's vision.

"The only thing missing from Vinicius is goals. It is true that he left the field while in good condition, and I could have waited a bit longer to substitute him. However, I understand that we need fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to continue playing because he felt good," said Alonso when asked about his decision to substitute Vinicius in the match against Espanyol.

Thus, Real fans will almost certainly see Vinicius being substituted more often or starting matches from the bench. This situation is not ideal, and it is particularly uncomfortable for Vinicius, who has an ego as vast as the ocean.

This will be a major problem for Real, like a ticking bomb in the locker room. Vinicius will not want to be a substitute player for the remainder of the season. Currently, Vinicius is reported to be approached by the Saudi Pro League. If there is an enticing offer, it is not impossible that Real will sell him to minimize drama within the team.