Vinicius Jr, 21, has agreed to sign an extension of his deal with Los Blancos at the end of the season.
Vinicius’ current deal with the Spanish giants expires in 2024 which gives the club enough time to discuss a contract renewal.
However, his great form has seen interest in him grow and Madrid have now made headway in talks to extend his deal, with Vinicius agreeing to put pen to paper on a new deal in the summer.
The young Brazil international has finally come into his own at the Santiago Bernabeu following his transfer to the club three-and-a-half seasons ago for €40 million. Madrid are looking to keep him for longer with the hopes of seeing him transform into a world beater and a potential Ballon d’Or candidate to further embellish their rich history.
Reports claim that Madrid wants Vinicius to focus on his football this season, while they prepare the groundwork for the contract renewal and signing talks in the summer.
New contract will come with pay rise for Vinicius
The former Flamengo youngster is Madrid’s second highest goalscorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions, and is third in the standings for the 2021/22 Pichichi race with 10 goals. He is also Los Blancos’ highest assist maker in all competitions with nine.
The winger is one of the lowest earners at the club with his €3.2 million per annum salary. Wages will be a key part of discussions between Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid in the summer as Madrid are aware that Vinicius can’t continue to stay in that wage range.
His transfer value has also seen a significant increase, according to the CIES Football Observatory who placed him as the world’s most valuable player worth €166.4 million.
However, it remains to be seen how much Los Blancos are willing to offer the Brazil international, as they’re also focused on signing Kylian Mbappe and are weighing up the option to sign Erling Haaland.
Both players will place a huge financial burden on the club and a significant increase for Vinicius’ salary could upset the club’s budget balance.
Madrid not dependent on Vinicius Jr, says Ancelotti
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has come out to debunk claims that the club is dependent on Vinicius Jr to create anything in the attack.
The winger is responsible for most of Madrid’s forays into the opponent box this season, leading the stats at the club for the most progressive runs into the opponent’s box.
The 33-time LaLiga champions face Valencia on Saturday and in the press conference ahead of the game, Ancelotti was asked if Vinicius, who is currently sidelined with a slight injury, is the player who the club is most dependent on.
The Italian said: “You can’t say there has been Vinícius dependence at Real Madrid. He did very well in the first half of the season and helped us win matches, but so did Benzema, Militão and everyone.
“To speak this way about one player seems too much, but he has been very important. His dribbling and his role in the counter-attacking has been important, as well as his goals. He is back now and we’re all happy to have him back.”
