Real Madrid Reportedly Plans 2026 Sale of Vinicius Jr. After Alonso Clash

Overview

• Multiple outlets citing Sport Bild report that Madrid has decided to move Vinicius Jr., with timing variously described as January 2026 or the summer window, and there is no official confirmation from the club.
• The reported strategy includes securing a short extension to a deal already running to 2027 to protect a market valuation of about €150 million.
• The move is said to follow Vinicius’s public protest over being substituted in El Clásico, after which the club required public and internal apologies.
• Bild also links a The Athletic article critical of Xabi Alonso’s disciplinary approach to people close to Vinicius, a claim not independently verified by the publications relaying it.
• Tensions were cited again when Vinicius took and missed a penalty intended for Kylian Mbappé against Valencia, prompting Alonso to say the episode “bothered” him, and his display at Liverpool drew criticism from Thierry Henry and Gareth Bale.