Vinicius Junior drops hint over Real Madrid stay | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior are set for an intense negotiation in 2026, as the two parties decide whether they will continue together in the coming years. After initially reaching an agreement last spring, Vinicius’ agent has raised their demands, and contract talks have been at a stalemate since.

Neither side has blinked since, and contract talks have been put off until next summer, at which point Vinicius will have just one year remaining on his contract. Real Madrid will face a decision if they cannot agree a new deal on their terms, whether to sell him, cave to his demands, or run the risk of losing him for free in 2027.

Vinicius drops hint over Real Madrid stay

Bringing in the new year, Vinicius has posted on Instagram on the first of January, a picture of himself holding up a Real Madrid shirt. The caption on his story reads ‘Let it be an incredible year!!! 2026. Hala Madrid always! I love you’. This certainly suggests that his conviction for the club is as strong as ever.

Image via IG / Vinicius

The crux of the issue between Vinicius and Real Madrid

That said, the issue preventing a new deal being signed has never been whether both sides want Vinicius to stay at Real Madrid, but rather the conditions under which he does so. Los Blancos are willing to give him a wage rise to make him the second-best paid player at the club, while Vinicius’ agents are demanding his salary be equal to that of Kylian Mbappe.

President Florentino Perez is reportedly keen to hang onto Vinicius, while the Brazilian has always reaffirmed his desire to remain at Real Madrid publicly. There was a suggestion before Christmas that for the first time he might be wondering about his future after being whistled off by the Bernabeu. Vinicius’ underwhelming form over the past year has certainly not helped the situation either.