"Not every club wants him": former Real Madrid star says keeping Vinicius was a mistake

Cañizares said in comments reported by the website Defensa Central from Cope radio: "Maybe I am the odd one out, but I see the decision as a mistake. For me, renewing Vinicius's contract was a mistake, because the player had completely exhausted his value. And I don't think Arsenal's offer was genuine."

He added: "I was hoping that Real Madrid would not renew his contract, and that Vinicius would leave for free in the summer of 2027, as he had already exhausted his value, and there would have been no problem with that. I don't see any possibility of selling him to Arsenal, not because of his ability, but because he is a young man with many problems, and not every club wants him."

He continued: "Besides that, the big clubs care about their image. There is a difference between signing Diomande, known for his character, and signing Vinicius with his character."

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The former international goalkeeper didn't stop at the decision to renew Vinicius's contract. He turned his fire on the player's continued involvement in matches, calling it an additional mistake.

He said: "Renewing his contract is a mistake, but playing him in matches is a double mistake. He has exhausted his value, you signed him at a low price, he gave you a good return and won two Champions League titles with you. I hope all deals are this successful, but the matter is now over."

Signing off, he added: "At the present time, Vinicius offers nothing in terms of the club's image, nor at the level of the group, nor even from a footballing standpoint, and that is why he is no longer useful to me."

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The website commented after Cañizares's words: "Although Real Madrid may decide to sell Vinicius Junior during the summer transfer window, his lack of playing minutes or the continued decline in his level will make offloading him extremely difficult. For this reason, the Royal Club, regardless of what happens with the player's future, is working to help him regain his confidence and his best physical levels."

It continued: "José Mourinho is offering Vinicius support and encouragement, with the aim of bringing him back to the level he previously displayed. It remains unknown whether these attempts will succeed, but the player feels the club's backing and appreciates it."

It concluded: "It is hoped that Vinicius will soon regain his smile and his enjoyment of the game, but he now realises that if he wants to play as a starter, he must commit to constantly tracking back to support Cucurella or Carreras in defensive duties. This is the role currently performed by Diomande, through which he is achieving great success."

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