The stalemate between the club and the Brazilian's camp entering its seventeenth month and no resolution in sight, according to reporting from OkDiario.
Vinícius's current deal runs until June 2027. Madrid opened talks in February 2025, unusually early, partly in response to growing interest from the Saudi Pro League. The two sides remain apart.
The core issue is money. Vinícius is seeking salary parity with Kylian Mbappé, including a signing-on fee equivalent to what he could command as a free agent when his contract expires. Madrid regard that demand as structurally impossible — granting it would set a precedent that could trigger similar requests throughout the dressing room.
Jose Mourinho's arrival has added a new dimension. The incoming head coach has introduced the principle that there will be no untouchables in his squad — that performance will take precedence over reputation. That message, transmitted clearly through the club's hierarchy, applies to Vinícius as it does to every other player.
Madrid have not stopped wanting to renew him. Club president Florentino Pérez has been publicly supportive: "Vini is one of the best players in the world and is delighted to be a Madrid player."
But the patience of senior executives has frayed. Sources within the club indicate frustration at the manner in which negotiations have been handled by the player's camp.
For the first time, the club is entertaining the possibility of a summer sale. No offers are currently on the table, and Vinícius is not seeking a move — he has stated publicly that he has never imagined himself at another club. But the logic of selling now, rather than allowing him to enter the final year of his deal and potentially leave for nothing in 2027, is beginning to take hold at Valdebebas.
Vinícius is at the World Cup with Brazil and has indicated publicly that contract talks will wait until the tournament concludes. That position suits him: the longer the discussions are deferred, the closer he moves to free agency and the stronger his leverage becomes. Madrid understand the dynamic as well as he does.
What was once unthinkable is now being discussed in concrete terms.