Real Madrid haven't had a quiet moment since the transfer window opened. They've wrapped up four new signings and appointed Jose Mourinho as manager, all while David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos have headed for the exit.
Yet the future of Vinicius Junior remains the biggest mystery of all. His contract expires at the end of next season, and renewal talks have dragged on for two years, though there are now signs he's close to extending.
He may have dipped over the last two campaigns after his Ballon d'Or disappointment, but Vinicius is still one of the best players on the planet. He scored 22 goals and set up 14 more in 53 matches last season, according to Spanish newspaper "elconfidencial".
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Florentino Perez's board see only two options: renew or sell. The club refuse to let Vinicius walk away for free in the summer of 2027, especially with a market value of 140 million euros according to "Transfermarkt", which makes him the seventh most expensive player in the world.
His relationship with the Real Madrid fans has soured. The drop in level, the boos and a few run-ins with the stands have all played their part, and so has the difficulty of gelling with Kylian Mbappe alongside his hefty wage demands, all of which have sown doubts inside the club.
The decision now rests entirely with the player. Real Madrid refuse to meet his financial demands, estimated at around 30 million euros a year, and they're waiting for him to accept their final offer. A fresh meeting is expected this week to bring the two sides closer together.
Meanwhile, the rebuild rolls on, with deals for Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries.
Signing the Ivorian Yan Diomande might look like a possible replacement for Vinicius, but the signs point to him bolstering the right wing instead. That would leave Vinicius and Mbappe to form an attacking trio on which Real Madrid are betting to restore their dominance over European football, according to "elconfidencial".