Updated: 27 May 2026 08:32 BST |
5 min read
Incoming Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has been handed a dream welcome present with Vinicius Junior admitting that he is ready to commit his future to the club.
Vini Jr is out of contract in 2027 but negotiations over a new deal have rumbled on for months.
While the Brazilian admits that there is unlikely to be a definite resolution to the situation immediately, he has said that he intends to sign a new deal, immediately giving Mourinho one less issue to worry about ahead of his return to the Bernabeu.
“I want to stay here my whole life,” he declared to CazeTV.
“I have never imagined myself away from Real Madrid. I make the most of every moment I’m here, because it’s the club of my dreams. I always dreamed of playing here and being able to play for so long. Now I’m one of the team’s captains, even being so young. It’s something important that happens only a few times in history. So, I make the most of every moment.”
Vini Jr did, however, deliver one slight warning, admitting that he and the club have “a lot to talk about”.
“I’m in no rush to renew my contract. I have a contract until 2027. So, until 2027, we have a lot to discuss with Madrid, and Madrid has a lot to discuss with us,” he said.
“Madrid is calm, I’m calm. The president trusts me, and I trust him.”
Vini Jr and Real Madrid: Is the standoff coming to an end at last?
There has been a sense of tension between Vini Jr and Real Madrid in recent months, and not simply because of his contract standoff.
FootballTransfers revealed more than a year ago that officials at the Bernabeu were growing tired of the 25-year-old being linked with a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League – a stance they felt was being fuelled by the player in order to drive up his contract renewal valuation.
Over the past season, there have been conflicting reports over Vini’s long-term future in the Spanish capital.
Much of this was fuelled by a poor relationship with previous head coach Xabi Alonso. Vini was a magnet for criticism after he marched down the tunnel without acknowledging the Spaniard when he was withdrawn in El Clasico. He had previously been frustrated at being marginalised under the former Bayer Leverkusen boss and has settled under Alvaro Arbeloa – even if the performances of the team were sub-standard.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been cool on his form. A return of 22 goals in 53 games this season represents a decent return, but not one that challenges team leader Kylian Mbappe.
His overall performance in La Liga, however, was outstanding. Among wingers in Spain’s top-flight, only Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal performed to a higher standard, according to the analysis of data analytics firm SciSports.
While Vini Jr’s intention to remain with Real Madrid is undoubtedly positive for the club, Mourinho will still want the issue to be resolved quickly, as it has been a cloud hanging over the Bernabeu for well over a year now.
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