Vinicius Jr Future Uncertain As Real Madrid Struggles Mount

There’s never a dull moment at Real Madrid, and the 2025/26 season has proven no exception. As the club navigates a turbulent campaign, all eyes have turned to the future of Vinicius Jr., the electrifying Brazilian winger whose contract situation and recent struggles have become the talk of Madrid. Add to that a midfield in transition and a dramatic change in the dugout, and you’ve got a recipe for high-stakes drama at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Let’s start with Vinicius Jr., whose story this season has been as complicated as it is crucial. Despite being one of Real Madrid’s most influential players, the 25-year-old has found himself at a crossroads. His contract, set to expire in 2027, is now the subject of intense speculation. According to reports from Diario Marca, negotiations to extend his stay have stalled. The sticking point? Salary demands that don’t quite fit within Madrid’s current financial framework.

But there’s more to the story than just numbers on a contract. In Real’s recent LaLiga clash with Levante UD, Vinicius found himself on the receiving end of growing criticism from the home crowd. The whistles and jeers seemed to hit a nerve, leaving the Brazilian star visibly affected and prompting fresh doubts about his long-term future in white. While he hasn’t made any decisions yet, sources suggest Vinicius is now weighing his options more seriously than ever before.

Despite the scrutiny, Vinicius continues to be a pillar for Real Madrid. He’s netted five goals in LaLiga this season, a figure that doesn’t quite match his explosive output from previous years but still underscores his importance to the squad. More than just a scorer, Vinicius has also been a creative force, ranking as the team’s second-highest assist provider this season. His dribbling, pace, and vision remain unmatched among his teammates, and his presence on the pitch changes the entire dynamic of Madrid’s attack.

Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who recently took the reins after the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, hasn’t been shy about expressing his faith in Vinicius. In the wake of the Levante game, Arbeloa stood firmly behind his star winger: “I’m going to work to get the best out of Vinicius, I’m going to demand that my players look for him. Vini isn’t afraid, he has character, he has defended this club tooth and nail, he’s one of the most influential players, if not the most influential in the world… He is going to win us many titles, as he has already done.”

Those are strong words, and they reflect just how vital Vinicius remains to Madrid’s ambitions. After all, this is a player who has already written his name into club history books. In 351 appearances, he’s scored 112 goals, surpassing club legends like Gareth Bale, Ronaldo Nazário, and Iván Zamorano. And let’s not forget his knack for the big stage—Vinicius has led Madrid to two UEFA Champions League titles, scoring in both finals, all before his 26th birthday.

Still, the challenge for Vinicius now is to win back the full support of the Bernabéu faithful and rediscover the form that made him a fan favorite. With Arbeloa’s backing, the Brazilian has a golden opportunity to silence his critics and remind everyone why he’s considered one of the most dangerous attackers in world football. If he can do that, it could tip the scales in favor of a contract extension and keep him at the heart of Madrid’s future.

But Vinicius’s situation is just one piece of a larger puzzle for Real Madrid. The club’s midfield—a source of strength for over a decade—now finds itself in a period of uncertainty. The departures of Toni Kroos, who retired after the 2024 Champions League triumph, and Casemiro, who left for Manchester United, have left a void that’s yet to be filled. The club’s decision to sign forwards Kylian Mbappé and Endrick instead of reinforcing the midfield has drawn scrutiny, especially as Madrid’s form has wavered.

The 2025/26 season started brightly enough, with Real rattling off seven straight wins and 13 victories in their first 14 matches. But the good times didn’t last. November brought a string of disappointing results: draws against Girona, Elche, and Rayo Vallecano, plus defeats to Liverpool, Celta de Vigo, and Manchester City. The Supercopa de España Final against Barcelona proved to be the breaking point. Despite twice equalizing in the first half, Madrid ultimately fell 3-2, with Raphinha’s 73rd-minute strike sealing Barcelona’s fourth consecutive domestic trophy.

That defeat spelled the end for Xabi Alonso, whose promising tenure as head coach was cut short. In came Álvaro Arbeloa, but his debut didn’t go according to plan either—Madrid suffered a shock 3-2 loss to second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey. The pressure is now on to avoid a trophyless season, something the club hasn’t experienced since 2020/21. As of January 18, 2026, Real trails Barcelona by four points in LaLiga and sits seventh in their Champions League group, six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Much of Madrid’s struggles can be traced to a midfield in flux. Jude Bellingham, who took LaLiga by storm in 2023/24 and helped fill the scoring void left by Karim Benzema, has found life tougher in a deeper role since Mbappé’s arrival. He’s looked frustrated and less involved in the final third. Federico Valverde, once hailed as one of the world’s best box-to-box midfielders, has also struggled to adapt to increased creative responsibilities following the exits of Kroos and Luka Modrić (who departed in 2025).

Younger talents like Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni have yet to fully blossom into world-class players. Tchouaméni, nearing his 26th birthday, still shows flashes of brilliance but hasn’t quite become the midfield orchestrator Madrid desperately needs. Former Ligue 1 midfielder Ricardo Faty offered a measured assessment: “Tchouaméni is very complete; when I see him, I see a bit of Paul Pogba, who is my favorite player. The way he plays football, the way he’s coping with the pressure at Real Madrid, is good… He delivered a good World Cup performance in Qatar. For me, he’s one of the leaders of the team, even if he can be discreet sometimes… But now it’s his turn to be decisive like he was in 2022.”

With no creative lynchpin in the mold of Pedri, Vitinha, Joshua Kimmich, or João Neves, Madrid’s midfield lacks the cutting edge that once made them Europe’s most feared side. The question now is whether the club will open its checkbook for a marquee signing or double down on developing its current crop of young stars.

For now, the action is ongoing, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Vinicius Jr.’s future remains unresolved, the midfield is searching for its next leader, and a new coach is trying to steady the ship. Madridistas everywhere are holding their breath, hoping their team can rediscover its magic and finish the season with silverware in hand—or at the very least, a renewed sense of direction.