Winger wants to remain at the club “for many years” after getting through “difficult moment” with Xabi Alonso
Vinicius Junior says he expects to sign a new contract with Real Madrid “at the right time” and hopes to remain at the club for many years.
The forward’s current deal expires in June 2027, which means he will be entering the final year of his contract at the end of the season. But the Brazilian addressed his future ahead of Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich.
“Let’s hope I can stay here for a long time,” Vinicius said. “I still have a year left, we’re calm. I have the confidence of the president [Florentino Perez], and we’re calm about what we want.
“At the right time we’ll do the renewal, and I’ll be here a long time. It’s the club of my dreams, I’m happy here, and I want to be here for many years.”
After a difficult start to the season, Vinicius has returned to form in recent weeks, scoring four goals in two matches against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid before the international break.
Under Xabi Alonso he struggled for minutes, not playing full time for the Spaniard’s first 13 games, and then eventually went on a 19-game goal drought for both club and country. Alonso has since been replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa who has consistently selected the Brazilian and reaped the rewards.
“It was a difficult moment,” Vinicius said of Alonso’s tenure. “We played a lot of games, but I got few minutes. Each coach has his methods, I couldn’t connect with what he wanted. It was a moment for learning, I learnt a lot, the players helped me a lot. I could reflect a lot, improve as a person, and I have a fantastic connection with Arbeloa.”
The Brazilian also reflected on the incident earlier in the campaign when he reacted angrily to being substituted during the clásico win over Barcelona.
“It was a moment that wasn’t nice,” said Vinicius. “I apologised to the team, the club, the coach, everyone there. I play every game and I didn’t want to go off. I thought I was doing the right thing, I didn’t want to [leave the pitch], but later with a cool head, you know you made a mistake. Every day there’s a new experience, where I can improve.”
