Vinicius' Contract Demands Use Mbappe as Benchmark

Vinicius Junior's contract standoff with Real Madrid is coming into sharper focus with new details emerging. According to AS, the Brazilian star has presented the club with three key demands: an annual net salary of around €20 million, an unprecedented signing bonus, and an image rights split comparable to Kylian Mbappe's. Real Madrid currently retain 50% of players' commercial revenue, a figure reported to drop to around 20% in Mbappe's case.

Vinicius' demands stem not from a desire to be paid exactly the same as Mbappe, but from wanting to close the gap and reach a more balanced position. The French forward's hefty signing bonus and privileged image rights deal, secured when he joined from PSG as a free agent in the summer of 2024, is said to be directly shaping Vinicius' current negotiating stance. Real Madrid's management is reportedly concerned that granting Vinicius terms close to Mbappe's could trigger similar demands from other stars like Jude Bellingham, Endrick and Federico Valverde.

The club's current offer is expected to be raised from €23 million to €25 million annually, though Real Madrid is said to be unwilling to break from its long-standing policy against signing bonuses. There may, however, be greater flexibility on image rights, with the club potentially offering Vinicius a share above the standard 50%, similar to the exception previously made for Cristiano Ronaldo. With his contract set to expire in 2027, Arsenal are also said to be closely monitoring the situation.

Source: AS
Image: Be Soccer