Reports have emerged stating that Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has stalled any contract talks with the Spanish club with a significant gap in money, plus issues with the coaching staff becoming a major issue that sees no sign of resolving.
According to the New York Times, the Brazilian winger shocked Real Madrid by asking for a significant contract, one that would have put him on the level of former Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo. The salary on offer from Madrid was €20 million, a significant increase for the winger but instead Madrid were sent back an offer in the region of €30 million and included many bonuses including a resigning bonus – one that no Madrid player has received ever.
But the bigger issue has been Vinicius’s reluctance to sign a contract while Xabi Alonso continues to operate as the head coach of the club. Under Carlo Ancelotti, Vini enjoyed a significant rise – one which culminated in him being a favourite to win the Ballon d’Or. While the Italian provided the Brazilian with all the tools to succeed at Madrid, Alonso has not favoured Vinicius as much.
Since Madrid’s Club World Cup semifinal loss to PSG, Vinicius Jr has completed only five of the Los Blancos’ 17 games played across all competitions and has started on the bench four times.
The signs of there being tensions with Alonso came after Madrid’s game against Barcelona. In that La Liga match, Alonso substituted Vini in the 72nd minute, an act that was not appreciated by the Brazilian. He stormed off the pitch and the cameras caught him saying, “Always me, I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave, I’m leaving.”
Later when the furore from his words caught on, he apologised publicly and took the name of Madrid boss Florentino Perez in his apology note but curiously chose to omit any mention of Alonso.
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