Real Madrid have struggled to move on from Sunday's derby defeat to Atlético Madrid, and while much of the noise inside the club has focused on the referee, a deeper worry has emerged around one of the team's biggest stars, according to Cadena SER's Antón Meana.
Vinícius Júnior's numbers against Atlético made grim reading: no goals, no assists, no shots on target, no chances created, no recoveries, one completed dribble and possession lost seven times.
It is a run of form that has drawn whistles from his own supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu on more than one occasion this season, a stark contrast to the player who was a Ballon d'Or contender only two years ago.
Meana points to the source of the dip: last summer, when the Brazilian's contract talks had stalled and Arsenal were reportedly ready to make him the new face of the Premier League.
According to sources consulted by the broadcaster, several of Vinícius's own team-mates in the Real Madrid dressing room had come to assume he would leave for the Gunners, despite what has always been a close relationship between the winger and the rest of the squad.
The move never happened, and Vinícius signed a new contract to stay. But Meana suggests the episode has left a mark that shows no sign of fading, and that the Brazilian may not be over it mentally even though he never left physically.
That leaves José Mourinho facing an awkward decision once the international break ends. With Vinícius struggling and the whistles growing louder, Yan Diomandé looks the likeliest option to replace him in the starting line-up, a debate that is set to dominate discussion around the club when domestic football resumes.