Real Madrid draw up three-man shortlist of Vinicius Junior replacements | OneFootball

Real Madrid may soon have to face up to the reality that Vinicius Junior will leave the club in the next 12 months. The Brazilian superstar sees his contract expire in June 2027, and while there is still the feeling that a new deal will be agreed soon, the club has started to take measures in the event that he does move on.

Over the last 12-18 months, Real Madrid have been in talks with Vinicius’ representatives, but until now, there has been no agreement. The two parties are far apart at this stage, and if this is still the case later in the summer, Bernabeu bosses are prepared to rethink their stance.

In the meantime, Real Madrid’s sporting department have started to think about players that could replacement Vinicius if he leaves. As per Sport, two of the names mentioned are Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, with the other being Michael Olise.

Were either of the former pair to arrive, it would allow Kylian Mbappe to look to his preferred position on the left side of attack. As for Olise, he is currently Real Madrid’s leading forward target, although he is not considered to be a natural replacement for Vinicius on the left, given that he regularly features on the right for Bayern Munich.

How far should Real Madrid go to keep Vinicius?

There is no doubt that Vinicius is one of the world’s best forward players. He has shown his class over many years at Real Madrid, but right now, club bosses are not prepared to meet the demands set by him and his representatives.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Real Madrid and Vinicius are able to find a middle ground in the coming weeks, because if they don’t, there’s every chance that they part ways in the next 12 months. At this stage, it does not appear that the club is willing to cave, but as time goes on, they could soften their stance.