"Can't afford a season like last season" - Former Real Madrid star sends warning to Vinicius Jr

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Santi Canizares believes that Vinicius Junior cannot afford a repeat of last season. The Brazilian forward's form plummeted in the second half of the campaign, although he still finished with 22 goals and 19 assists from 58 games.

Speaking to Radio MARCA, as cited by Tribal Football, Canizares insisted that Vinicius was affected by the failure to win the Ballon d'Or 2024.

"Vinicius can't afford a season like last season, that's obvious. He can't afford it as an individual, nor can Real Madrid. Vinicius came into the season thinking about the Ballon d'Or gala, which he had high hopes for, and not winning it has affected him emotionally. Real Madrid didn't do well not going to the gala," said Canizares.

Canizares was also surprised that the 25-year-old hasn't signed a new contract despite reports of an agreement in place.

"What I can't understand is that a renewal agreement is reached in April and not signed a week or two later. When a player, a club, and an agent reach an agreement for a renewal, everything would be much more peaceful if it were signed immediately," Canizares.

The former goalkeeper went on to shed light on reports of the Brazilian's lack of chemistry with Kylian Mbappe.

"I don't think we have to sell one; we'll start there. (But) Vinicius can't repeat last year's level, because he'll become a residual player. You may look like a star and have the talent, but to be one, you have to prove it," said Canizares.

Vinicius Jr is under contract with Real Madrid until 2027.

Will Real Madrid offload Dani Ceballos this summer?

Real Madrid want €15m to part ways with Dani Ceballos this summer, according to AS. The Spanish midfielder has struggled for chances at the Santiago Bernabeu of late and his situation looks unlikely to improve under Xabi Alonso.

Ceballos was a peripheral figure at this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, which marked the start of the Spanish manager's tenure. The 28-year-old managed just four appearances at the tournament, all of which were from the bench, registering 70 minutes of action.

Ceballos' former club Real Betis are ready to prise him away this year, but his asking price is posing a problem. The Andalusian side are only willing to offer €5m for their former player. The Spaniard is under contract with Los Blancos until 2027.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit