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Vinicius Jr. celebrates a goal during Real Madrid’s match against Real Sociedad in La Liga on Feb. 14, 2026. Photo by Reuters |
The capital club is expected to meet with the Brazilian forward’s representatives this week to resume contract extension talks after months of stalling.
Madrid have reportedly improved the latest salary offer to around $25 million per year. However, this figure is still significantly lower than the $34 million per year that Vini’s camp is reportedly seeking, ESPN reported.
Vini currently earns around $20 million per year and is entering the final year of his contract. If an extension agreement is not reached soon, the 26-year-old star forward could leave the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer next summer, and he can openly negotiate and sign pre-contracts with other European clubs starting January 2027.
According to Capology, Vinicius is currently the second-highest-paid player at Real Madrid, behind French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who currently receives €31.25 million ($36 million) per season.
Vinicius and his agent consider this upcoming deal to be the most important signing of his career. They firmly believe Real Madrid should properly recognize his contributions since he joined the team in 2018, which include scoring in two Champions League finals (a 1-0 win against Liverpool in 2022 and a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in 2024).
According to ESPN, Real Madrid’s management is also willing to consider parting ways with Vini this summer if the two sides cannot reach a common ground. In that case, the club expect to sell him for $171 million, despite the player only having one year left on his current contract.
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Vinicius Jr. returns to Real Madrid to prepare for the new season on on Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by Real Madrid FC |
Arsenal are closely monitoring the situation. However, the London club have not yet made an official move, fully aware that Real Madrid still prioritize keeping their star player.
After returning from his post-World Cup vacation, Vini rejoined the squad earlier this week. The 26-year-old successfully completed his pre-season medical tests and participated in his first training session under the guidance of new manager Jose Mourinho.
During the busy 2026 summer transfer window, Real Madrid have already signed five new players — Carlos Espi, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella.
The Spanish giants also reached an agreement to sign highly-rated winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a staggering $150 million. However, that deal was temporarily stalled due to an ongoing legal battle between the Ivorian player’s representatives.