More than a week after the World Cup concluded, Real Madrid has yet to make a move on what is probably its most urgent matter: the renewal of Vinicius Jr. His contract expires in June 2027, but the inactivity of the white club has opened a dangerous window that other European giants are not hesitant to exploit. While Madrid stays silent, Arsenal is already sounding interested in paying a fortune to the 25-year-old Brazilian winger. The uncomfortable question everyone is asking is: what is Madrid waiting for?

The silence that reveals slow management

According to mundodeportivo.com, the lack of movement around Vinicius has triggered all the alarms among Madrid fans. Santi Cañizares, the club's legendary goalkeeper, was clear on the matter during the 'Tiempo de Juego' programme on Cadena COPE: the media silence is a symptom of a real problem.

"The more noise there is about a player, the less chance they have of leaving," the former goalkeeper said. But Madrid has not generated that noise, that public anchoring that usually surrounds important renewals. Instead, there are rumours, speculation and uncertainty. It is precisely the opposite of what a club needs to retain a star of this calibre.

An increasingly real threat

The risk is not merely theoretical. If before his contract expires Madrid and Vinicius fail to reach an extension agreement, the Brazilian will be able to leave free. And that would mean the loss of a stratospheric amount of money for Madrid's coffers: we are talking about more than one hundred million euros in transfer fees that would simply evaporate.

Arsenal's entry into the picture is proof that there are predators circling. The Gunners, according to English media, would be willing to spend a fortune to secure the services of one of Europe's best wingers. In parallel, the possible arrival of Yan Diomande at Madrid is also not helping to ease tensions: is it a complementary reinforcement or a warning that Vinicius might not stay?

A management "unforgivable", in Cañizares' words

The goalkeeper did not mince words. For Cañizares, Madrid has not only arrived late: it has arrived so late that it has compromised its negotiating capacity. His diagnosis is severe: "Real Madrid is late on everything. If it is true that they do not have a signed agreement, Real Madrid has the obligation to sell him. You cannot lose 100 or more million euros by letting a player run down their contract. It is unforgivable poor management".

Cañizares also stresses that the club should have issued an ultimatum long ago. It is not just a matter of sporting ambition, but of elementary business mathematics. A club of Madrid's stature cannot afford the luxury of gifting a footballer of Vinicius's calibre to the free market.

What remains to be done?

So far no official move has emerged. Madrid begins its third week of training with this issue completely pending. Fans, logically, expect the club to speak soon with Vinicius, close a contract extension and thus close a wound that only grows wider with each passing day.

The final question is inevitable: can Real Madrid afford another delay? Judging by how the market is moving, the answer is no.