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Former Real Madrid star: Diomande threatens Vinicius's future, and Mbappe is the cause of the problem

Rafa Alkorta, the former Real Madrid star, appeared as a guest on the "El Larguero" programme on SER radio to talk about Los Blancos' transfer market.

The newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" published Alkorta's comments, in which he backed the club's business without reservation. He argued that the team badly needed a shake-up after last season.

"For me, the signings were well judged," Alkorta said. "The team had to be rebuilt, and there was no other option."

One name stood out above the rest. "For me, the signing of Marc Cucurella is the best of all, the best of all the deals," he stressed. "As for the rest, the likes of Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and perhaps Yan Diomandé too."

"I am not saying they got it wrong last season, because the players they signed were of a high level, but they realised they needed something extra, especially in terms of experience," he noted.

Departures, though, remain the sticking point. "Konaté has a great level, and if Diomandé arrives it will be superb. And if Rodri arrives too it will be superb," Alkorta added. "But the issue is that some players have to leave, and leaving Real Madrid is not an easy matter, because everyone knows it is a great club. We will see what happens, but there will be players forced to depart, as they have no other choice."

He also praised the quality of the new deals. These arrivals, he reckons, will contribute straight away, unlike last season's crop of young talents such as Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras.

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Vinícius continues to stall: I fear the board's 'mistake'
He also spoke about Vinicius Junior, whose contract expires in the summer of 2027. The Brazilian wants to renew, but talks with Real Madrid have yet to yield an agreement, and that leaves a departure this summer a genuine possibility.
Alkorta said: "It is a complicated situation, because Vinicius keeps stalling and I do not know how long that will continue."
"Certainly, if Diomande arrives, there is a possibility that Vinicius will leave," he explained. "What I would consider a mistake is allowing him to run down his contract and then leave for free."
He added: "Real Madrid have a problem, because when you negotiate with a star of Vinicius's stature, the negotiations are difficult and take a long time. The rope could snap. And if it does, it will not be a disaster, because Vinicius is a player from whom the club recovered its investment some time ago. And if Diomande arrives, that would be a very strong message to him."
For Alkorta, the root of the trouble goes back to Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrid two years ago. The Frenchman became the team's number one star and earns a far higher salary than the Brazilian.
On this matter he said: "In my day, I never knew how much my teammates earned, and it did not concern me or even prompt me to ask. Now, though, it has become completely different. There are people around the players who behave with excessive selfishness and do not give them the right advice. I believe that young players must have a stronger personality when making certain decisions."