Regretful, Vinícius Júnior backs down and Real Madrid responds:'There is very little left'

Beyond Madrid's discreet play at the start of this season, at Bernabéu all eyes are on Vinícius Júnior. The "7" arrived in Spain as a great prospect and has become one of the best players in the world. His performances in recent seasons have been so good that he has become the offensive reference for the Whites.

Not only that, because he was very close to winning the Ballon d'Or very recently. It is true that since then his performances have dropped, with more irregular matches and fewer decisive moments in certain stretches. But the truth is that Florentino Pérez still blindly trusts his talent, because when Vinícius is inspired there is no defense that can hold him for 90 minutes.

The problem, however, is not about soccer, or at least it is not the main concern. What really worries the board and Real Madrid's fans is not what he does on the field, but what may happen off it. The feeling of uncertainty about his contract renewal keeps generating noise, and in a club like Madrid the noise turns into real pressure.

Vinícius Júnior's contract renewal draws all the attention

We must remember that Vinícius  has a contract until 2027 and that, for the moment, he has not renewed it. The saga has been open since the last Club World Cup, where Vinícius Júnior presented Florentino with his proposal to renew: 30 million net per season. It was a figure that fell like a bomb at the club and that was rejected immediately.

Since then, nothing had changed until now. The negotiation had stalled, with entrenched positions and too much distance to speak of a close agreement. However, after months of stagnation, it seems that Vinícius Júnior has lowered his financial demands for the first time.

Real Madrid's response to Vinícius Júnior's move

Florentino Pérez has told Vinícius Júnior that "there is a 15% difference between what you want and what we can offer you". That sentence contains two interpretations: that the gap is no longer enormous and that Madrid doesn't intend to move much further. In other words, the club suggests that there is very little left to reach an agreement, but it also clearly draws the red line.

We will see whether in the coming months both parties reach common ground. If the "7" lowers his demands by another 15%, everything suggests that they will reach an understanding. The ball is in Vinícius's court, because Madrid has already shown its hand: it wants to renew his contract, but under its own framework, and that framework has a very clear number.