Real Madrid superstar accepts new hierarchy behind Mbappe and Bellingham – report | OneFootball

One of the biggest summer transfer stories surrounding Real Madrid was whether Vinicius Junior would sign a new contract with the club.

The Brazilian and Los Blancos had been in negotiations for a long time without any breakthrough, but Vinicius eventually put pen to paper on a new deal.

Now, according to Diario AS, the 26-year-old appears to be entering a new phase of his Real Madrid career, one in which the Brazilian is no longer the protagonist.

Vinicius has accepted that his status within the team has changed under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Vinicius accepts changing role at Real Madrid

For several seasons, Vinicius was the central figure in Real Madrid’s attack. However, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are now considered the two leading figures in Mourinho’s new project.

Their performances at the beginning of the season have reinforced that hierarchy.

Jude Bellingham has become the creative spoke of Real Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Bellingham scored against Espanyol before producing two assists and an outstanding all-round display against Real Sociedad.

Mbappe, meanwhile, opened his account for the campaign by scoring a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Vinicius understands the situation and had already accepted his changing role when agreeing his new contract.

Rather than competing with Mbappe or Bellingham for individual prominence, the Brazilian’s focus is now said to be on rediscovering his own best level.

Mourinho working to rebuild Vinicius

That process remains important because the relationship between Vinicius and sections of the Bernabeu crowd has become strained.

There were whistles for the winger during Wednesday’s game after some unsuccessful actions, continuing a trend that emerged during Madrid’s disappointing previous campaign.

Jose Mourinho is keen on recovering the best version of Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

However, the mood changed dramatically.

Vinicius eventually contributed a goal and an assist, with the whistles replaced by applause as his performance improved.

Mourinho recognised the opportunity and substituted the Brazilian shortly after his goal, later explaining that he wanted Vinicius to leave the pitch while feeling the supporters’ affection.

He is also said to be having many one-on-one conversations with the 26-year-old, unlike how he is treating Mbappe.

It was a small but calculated piece of man-management from the Portuguese coach.

A reset could benefit everyone

Jose Mourinho understands that Madrid’s ceiling becomes significantly higher if he can restore Vinicius to his devastating best.

Not being asked to lead the project and be the face of everything may actually act as a blessing in disguise for the Brazilian.

Mbappe can shoulder much of the goalscoring responsibility, while Bellingham has been given a central creative role.

Vinicius can therefore concentrate on what made him so dangerous in the first place: attacking defenders, creating chaos from the left and being unpredictable.

It seems like Madrid have a clear plan with Vinicius, and it remains to be seen whether Mourinho recovers the Brazilian’s best version this upcoming season.