Vinicius to meet Mourinho face-to-face

After his time off, Vinicius is back and set to have a direct meeting with Mourinho, followed by talks with Real Madrid about renewing his contract.

It is only a matter of time. The moment expected to dispel the doubts surrounding Vinicius Junior's future for over a year and a half is approaching. As planned, the Brazilian striker will have a direct meeting with Real Madrid's leadership right after his summer break. He returned to Madrid on August 2 and will begin training under Jose Mourinho's guidance from today.

This will be the time when Vinicius first talks with Mourinho, then works with the club to clearly express his intentions regarding the future, while also resolving the contract extension issue with only 11 months remaining. A new contract would be a guarantee of his continued commitment to the Bernabeu. Conversely, if no agreement is reached, a departure could be on the cards.

The scenario is unfolding exactly as previously anticipated: World Cup, vacation, and the decisive meeting. Both sides still affirm their desire to sign a new contract. However, until the face-to-face meeting takes place, no one can be sure what will happen. At Valdebebas, Real Madrid officials say they have not received any official information about interest from Arsenal, despite the flood of rumors linked to the English club in the past week. Meanwhile, Vinicius's representatives have also denied reaching an agreement with the European runners-up.

Real Madrid remains calm after the positive signals Vinicius has shown in recent exchanges. The leadership believes in what the Brazilian striker affirmed during their last conversation, when he expressed his desire to continue with the club.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid's offer will not change, or at least will not meet the compensation level Vinicius demands. In fact, in February 2025, when receiving interest from Saudi Arabia, Vini's own representative confirmed that the two sides were very close to signing a new contract.

However, that contract was never signed, and a year and a half has passed without any new agreement being announced. Now, what Real Madrid wants is for Vinicius to give a definitive answer. If he truly has no intention of renewing, the club wants to know immediately so they can prepare a replacement in the transfer market.

In the upcoming meeting, both Real Madrid and Vinicius want to determine whether the other's stance has changed. The biggest sticking point between the two sides remains the financial issue. What they need now is to understand each other's true desires.

Vinicius also understands well how Real Madrid has handled tense negotiations with stars like Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, and Angel Di María. All of them eventually left the Bernabeu.

The current issue is no longer just about whether to raise the salary or not. Real Madrid wants to know exactly what Vinicius truly desires, beyond the moves from his representatives—whom the Brazilian striker always trusts completely.

The decision now lies in Vinicius's hands. Saudi Arabia is no longer an option as it was two years ago. Arsenal is still waiting, but entering the new season with a contract counting down month by month is clearly not an ideal scenario for Real Madrid and Mourinho.