Vinicius Junior excited to open contract talks with Real Madrid
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has revealed his excitement towards discussing a new contract with the club, insisting he is desperate to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 21-year-old remains under contract until 2025 but has this season made the jump from future prospect to first-team star, so he is expected to be handed a tidy pay rise to keep him happy in Madrid.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Vinicius was asked whether he felt he deserved a new contract or if he was frustrated not to have been offered fresh terms, but the young Brazilian could hardly have been calmer about the situation.
“From the club, they haven’t told me anything, but I am very relaxed because there is still a lot of time,” he said. “Of course, I want to renew and stay here a long time, but I am relaxed, everything will come in the right moment.
"Still, I've had a contract since I was 16 years old. It doesn't matter to me when I am going to renew or how much they are going to pay me. What's important is the satisfaction of being at the best club in the world."
Vinicius has been in outstanding form so far this reason, racking up seven goals and three assists in just 11 La Liga games.
Heading into this season, he'd only scored seven in 82 games, so his progress is pretty clear to see and a new contract is surely on the horizon.
Despite that electric form, Vinicius was surprisingly left out of Tite's latest Brazil squad for the upcoming internationals, with the boss opting for Leeds' Raphinha and Ajax's Antony in his place.
That's perhaps a blessing in disguise for both Real and Vinicius as the young winger now no longer needs to worry about quarantine rules or fatigue from travelling and can instead keep in top shape ahead of tricky league ties with Granada and Sevilla later this month.