With the coexistence of Kylian Mbappé (28) and Vinícius Júnior (26) effectively ending in failure, Real Madrid's ambitious galáctico has turned into a disaster.
According to France's Le10Sport on the 18th (Korean time), French journalist Laurent Molina appeared on a YouTube channel and, immediately after Real was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals by an aggregate score of 3-4, labeled the Mbappé–Vinícius partnership a horrific failure.
Molina said, "The combination of the two players never really worked. The trio that included Jude Bellingham was the same," and added, "This is a dreadful failure. Bellingham must also be counted among the failures. Real originally tried to push around those three players at the center."
He continued, "From the club's perspective, this is truly a dramatic failure. The direction the club chose. I don't know if they realize what it means to have effectively a blank season," and he harshly criticized, "I can't even remember when Real last had such a terrible season."
In fact, Real has been on a downward trajectory since Mbappé joined in the summer of 2024. Apart from winning one-off tournaments, they have failed to win the league for two consecutive years and have not captured a single major title. They only reached the finals of the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.
The bigger problem is what to do with Vinícius. Vinícius faces contract expiration in the summer of June 2027. However, negotiations for a renewal have shown no progress. Furthermore, despite agents traveling across Europe to arrange a transfer, shocking reports say there are no teams that want him.
Molina asked, "The question is what Real will do with Vinícius. Agents have gone all over Europe and no one wants him," and he retorted, "Is no one asking why no one wants him?"
He added, "He's now 25. Agents ran all over Europe, and not even Chelsea wants him. If I were Real, I'd be asking myself, 'Wait, if our player is that great, why does nobody want him?'"
Also, Vinícius is currently demanding a salary at the level of Mbappé, the highest-paid on the team, but Florentino Pérez (79), the club president, is reportedly not at all inclined to meet that demand.
In the end, Real has only two choices: sell Vinícius at the highest possible price, or reluctantly sign a contract extension.
Molina said, "Unfortunately, the only destination Vinícius can go to now is Saudi Arabia," and emphasized, "The original plan was also for Saudi Arabia, but now even the amount the Saudis are offering has decreased."
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