Real’s talks with star ‘stall’ as Alonso faces Vinicius

Talks between Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid have stalled amid continued links to the Saudi Pro League, the latest reports have claimed.

Los Blancos were eliminated from the Club World Cup last Wednesday when they lost 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain, with boss Xabi Alonso facing criticism.

The Spanish giants were dominated by their French opponents – with and without the ball – and there are fears that the head coach will have to make difficult choices in the next weeks.

Winger Vinicius Junior’s performances have come under scrutiny, and his place in the XI has unexpectedly come into question this summer.

Spanish outlet El Chiringuito report that planned contract talks between Real and the Brazilian have stalled, fuelling speculation that the forward could make the switch to the Saudi Pro League given he has just two years remaining on his deal.

The Mbappe problem

Vinicius Junior has been one of Real’s best performers over past years, and because of his immense talent, he has often been provided freedom from defensive responsibility.

However, teammate Kylian Mbappe has also often been given this same freedom, but opposition teams such as PSG have taken advantage of their limited defensive involvement.

If Alonso is to get Los Blancos back to competing for La Liga and the Champions League, he may have to remove one of the two from the starting XI in order to bring back solidity out of possession.

Solutions

While selling Vinicius Junior is likely to be a controversial move, the team as a whole may be better placed to challenge Europe’s best sides.

The sale of the winger would also allow Mbappe to play in his preferred left-sided role, as opposed to the more central role leading the club’s forward line that he occupied in 2024-25.

Alonso would undoubtedly need to sign an attacker to replace Vinicius Junior, so perhaps he should look to bring in a striker that can help platform Mbappe.

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