At 25, Vinicius Jr. has already won everything he can with Real Madrid. The Sao Gonçalo native has won several Champions Leagues, Copa del Reys, and La Liga titles. It might be time for him to leave Madrid. He would thus emerge from the shadow of Kylian Mbappé, in whom new coach Xabi Alonso is working to keep him.

Indeed, since the arrival of the former Bayer Leverkusen coach on the Merengues bench, the Brazilian has lost his starting place. The Auriverde is now a rotation player. Something that was unthinkable under Ancelotti.

So that Mbappé takes all the spotlight

Yesterday, Tuesday, he started the Champions League match against Marseille on the bench. Nobody expected to see that. To justify this player's downgrade, Xabi Alonso likes to say that he has to earn his place every weekend. Does Vinicius still have to prove that he is an exceptional player? Who gave Real Madrid its last two Champions League titles?

There's a tendency to think that Xabi Alonso and the Real Madrid management want to make Kylian Mbappé the club's absolute star. Marca's revelations corroborate this idea. Indeed, according to the Spanish sports daily, from the very first day of the season, the Frenchman received the club's support as a sporting leader. He is now the exclusive penalty taker and has inherited Luka Modric's number 10.

The 2018 world champion is quite happy with this status and is shining in his game. The proof is that he has already scored 5 goals in as many matches.

Like a good pro player, he takes the pressure off

The contrast with Vinicius Jr. is striking. The Brazilian is moody and smiles rarely. These are clear signs of frustration. Like a good professional player, he tries to cope with the pressure his coach places on him. But his emotional leadership, that intangible element that made him a symbol of Real Madrid, seems to have faded.

He will certainly work harder to earn a starting spot, but what if he simply thinks about leaving Real Madrid for another top European club? He has nothing left to prove at the White House. The one who still has to prove himself is Kylian Mbappé, since he has yet to win any major trophies with the Merengues.

Real Madrid refuses to meet its salary demands

Vinicius is therefore expected to leave. His contract expires in 2027, and negotiations with the club to renew it have stalled for the time being. The Auriverde is reportedly demanding a salary of €30 million per season, including a signing bonus. A salary demand that president Florentino Perez refuses to meet.