They’ve had their fights. They’ve had their setbacks. A Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich still stings in the corridors of the Bernabéu. But none of it — not the whispers, not the contract rows, not the fan frustration — is enough to shake Real Madrid’s absolute conviction: Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé are the franchise players, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Diario AS published a story this Sunday that says Real Madrid’s board has made its position very clear for the 2026/27 season. The two attacking superstars are the project’s unbreakable pillars. They are in charge of every signing, every tactical choice, and every managerial meeting. According to a report published this Sunday by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s board has made its position crystal clear ahead of the 2026/27 season. The two attacking superstars are the untouchable pillars of the project. Every signing, every tactical decision, every managerial discussion — it all flows through them.
This is not a plan that is being looked at. This is what we will do.
The Plan From the Top
There is no doubt about what Florentino Pérez and the club’s top leaders are saying. Real Madrid doesn’t want to sell Vinícius Jr. or Mbappé. Instead, they will build their entire summer recruitment strategy around getting the most out of the two players on the field.
El Mundo says that the club sees the Brazilian and the Frenchman, along with Jude Bellingham, as the three main players who will help build a stronger, more competitive team. Two center backs, a midfield maestro, and possibly the return of Endrick from his loan spell at Olympique Lyon are all being lined up to finish the picture.
Real Madrid isn’t building anything new. They are making things stronger.
The Big Problem with the Contract
Of course, things in football are never that easy. Mbappé’s long-term future at the club seems safe after he moved from PSG for free, but Florentino Pérez’s most important issue right now is Vinícius Júnior’s contract.
The Brazilian’s contract ends in the summer of 2027, and negotiations have come to a complete stop. Vini’s camp wants a salary package that is equal to or higher than Mbappé’s reported net base salary of €17.5 million. Real Madrid has reportedly offered around €20 million net, which could go up to €25 million with bonuses. They are still firm on their wage structure. But that offer isn’t enough for Vinícius and his agents.
Most people who know what’s going on think that a solution won’t come until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If they can’t agree, something that seems impossible could happen: Vinícius could leave for free in 2027.
A Time of Trouble, A Vision That Stays
The Mbappé–Vinícius partnership has had a lot of ups and downs this season. After a year full of Mbappé’s injuries and questions about how well the team gets along on the field, the criticism has been harsh. After the Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, French journalist Laurent Molina went so far as to call the two’s coexistence “a horrific failure.”
But what did Real Madrid say? Silence and faith.
Vinícius got back to his best form with the help of Álvaro Arbeloa, who stepped in as interim manager and helped calm down a chaotic dressing room. Since the change in management, he has played every minute that was available and has become the clear leader of Los Blancos’ attack, with his numbers in duels and direct play going through the roof.
Mbappé, on the other hand, is expected to be fully healthy before the start of next season. He will be leaner, hungrier, and have something to prove.
The Attack That Madrid Is Building: Looking Ahead
It looks like Endrick will be coming back from Lyon and taking on a bigger backup role in attack. Names like Vitinha are at the top of the list for midfielders, so things are slowly coming together.
Real Madrid has been through this before: a tough season, critics doubting them, and rivals writing them off. But they always come back stronger and more powerful than ever.
Vinícius and Mbappé are the next big things. The two franchisees. The people who will lead Real Madrid into the future.
No one is arguing about that in the halls of the Bernabéu.
