Real Madrid will make a blockbuster move for Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland, if Vinicius Jr is sold in 2026, and reports have detailed why that’s likelier than you might think.
Vinicius Jr made headlines over the weekend when throwing a strop in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona. The winger reacted angrily to his substitution in the second-half, twice mouthed “I’m leaving”, and attempted to confront Lamine Yamal in ugly post-match scenes.
Vinicius tried to draw a line under the saga earlier on Wednesday when releasing an official statement on social media.
“Today I want to apologize to all the Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clásico,” wrote the Brazilian.
“Just as I have already done in person during today’s training, I also want to apologize again to my teammates, the club, and the president.
“Sometimes passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team.
“My competitive character stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents.
“I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since the first day.”
However, even if Vinicius has successfully put that those moments of madness to bed, reports from The Athletic and Sport have touted the possibility of Vinicius being sold next summer.
The Athletic’s piece primarily centred on how new boss Xabi Alonso is faring, and while the winning percentage is extraordinarily high, he’s ruffling feathers in the dressing room.
There are claims Alonso “thinks he’s Pep Guardiola”, who for obvious reasons given his past at Barcelona, is despised in Madrid.
Furthermore, Alonso has upset players with his management style and tactical demands, including instructing stars to work harder out of possession or run the risk of being dropped.
The report did not mention Vinicius specifically as being among those who are disgruntled with Alonso, though his antics last weekend would strongly suggest he’s one of them.
Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr at contract impasse?
Sport’s piece focused on Vinicius and the main takeaway were their claims Vinicius and Real Madrid are not close to agreeing a contract extension.
The winger’s current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2027. Vinicius is believed to be demanding parity in the wages department with Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid will not be dictated to and Sport stated if an agreement can’t be reached by next summer, the club will look to cash in while they still can.
Vinicius, meanwhile, is prepared to run his contract down before leaving on a free in 2027 if a new deal can’t be agreed.
It’s important to stress both parties do want to agree an extension, but wanting it and doing it are two different things.
In the event Vinicius does move on, Sport declared Man City’s Erling Haaland is their number one target.
Haaland would not be a like-for-like replacement for Vinicius given the Brazilian plays primarily as a left winger. Instead, Haaland’s arrival would free Mbappe up to revert to the left wing role he usually played at PSG, with Haaland operating centrally.
Of course, signing Haaland would be a monumental undertaking, not least because he’s happy at Man City and is contracted until 2034.
There is a release clause in his deal, but per Fabrizio Romano, it does not become active until 2029.
Realistically, Haaland is one of the few players whose transfer could set a new world record given his mind-blowing efficiency in front of goal and the guarantee of goals he provides.
The most expensive move of all time remains Neymar’s €222m switch from Barcelona to PSG back in 2017.
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