Real Madrid President Dodges Mbappe, Vinicius Jr Concerns—But a Decision Must Be Made

Los Blancos have failed to win a major trophy since the two forwards joined forces.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé came under fire this season. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Between Bernabéu boos, historic petitions and waves of criticism, both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé have come under fire for another disappointing campaign at Real Madrid, but club president Florentino Pérez vehemently defended both of his superstar forwards.

Off the back of his head-turning emergency press conference, the 79-year-old Spaniard continued his quasi-press tour on Wednesday, sitting down for an interview with LaSexta to address the crisis unfolding at Real Madrid.

Mbappé’s name of course came up, considering over 52 million people signed a petition calling for his exit. Discontent towards the Frenchman reached a fever pitch when he opted to go on an Italian vacation the week before El Clásico, furthering the narrative that he is isolating himself from the squad that won La Liga and the Champions League the season before his arrival.

Pérez, though, seemingly has no worries about how Mbappé fits with the team on or off the pitch. “Mbappé is Real Madrid’s best player right now; he’s been awarded the Golden Boot,” the club president said.

“There are things we need to improve, but I’m not going to get involved in that. I think he understands what Real Madrid is all about. He's scored a lot of goals.”

Indeed, Mbappé has led the team in scoring over the last two seasons, finding the back of the net 85 times in 100 appearances for Real Madrid. Yet the team arguably looked their best this season when he was on the bench and Vinicius Jr once again had the keys to the attack.

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Pérez Gives Vinicius Jr Contract Update

Vinicius Junior is out of contract at the end of next season. | Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Speaking of Vinicius Jr, Pérez also came to the defense of his No. 7, whose public falling out with Xabi Alonso and goalscoring drought marred the first half of the season. The Brazil international rediscovered his form under Álvaro Arbeloa, though, and is now just two goals away from matching his career-best haul from 2023–24.

Yet there is uncertainty surrounding Vinicius Jr’s future in a white shirt, given his contract expires at the end of next season. The winger has made little progress on a new deal as he reportedly seeks a historic €30 million ($34.6 million) per season, an amount that would make him the highest paid player on the team.

“I think [Vinicius Jr] is one of the best players Real Madrid has,” Pérez said. ”He won us the last two Champions League titles. The negotiations are ongoing. There’s no rush.”

There might not be a rush at the moment, but the clock is certainly ticking. Reports claim the club does not want to disrupt an already fractured dressing room by paying Vinicius Jr more than Mbappé, but they might have no choice.

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Can Real Madrid Thrive With Both Vinicius Jr and Mbappé?

Kylian Mbappé (front) and Vinicius Junior have not won a major trophy together. | Stuart Franklin/UEFA/Getty Images

It’s the question on everyone’s minds: How does Real Madrid get back to championship winning ways with both Vinicius Jr and Mbappé leading the attack?

The two players have had bright moments sharing the pitch, but their poor performances together outweigh the positive showings. They both want to occupy the same spaces. They both want to be the focal man in the attack. They both want to be the playmaker and the goalscorer.

Perhaps a new season and a fresh start will be just what they need—although many said that last year. Perhaps the addition of a blockbuster midfielder will help the team strike a better balance. Perhaps a new manager will get the two players on the same page.

But there’s also the possibility that nothing changes, which could force Real Madrid into a decision when it comes to Vinicius Jr’s contract. Despite their vocal commitment to the Brazilian, they might have second thoughts pledging so much money to both him and Mbappé when there is no silverware to justify it.

Another nightmare season and the club just might have to rip up their failed Mbappé and Vinicius Jr experiment.

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