Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could reportedly 'sacrifice' Vinicius Junior to fund a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe this summer.
Vinicius arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu from Flamengo in July 2018 and has since developed into a key player for the Spanish giants, scoring 54 goals and registering 52 assists in 208 appearances across all competitions.
The 22-year-old is currently Real's joint-top scorer this season along with Karim Benzema, netting 18 goals in 38 games, and manager Carlo Ancelotti recently labelled the Brazilian as the "most influential player in world football".
Speaking to reporters after Vinicius bagged a brace in Los Blancos' 5-2 Champions League win over Liverpool last month, Ancelotti said: "Right now he's the most influential player in world football. No other player has this consistency. He doesn't stop and keeps going. I hope he can continue like this."
However, speculation regarding the winger's long-term future in the Spanish capital has begun to surface, as he has less than 16 months remaining on his current contract.
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According to Spanish news outlet El Desmarque, Real president Perez is 'doing everything possible' to tie Vinicius down to a new long-term contract at the club, and is confident that an agreement can soon be reached between both parties.
However, the report adds that negotiations over a new deal are 'causing significant headaches' for the Los Blancos hierarchy, while there are suggestions that members of the first-team dressing room are unhappy with the winger's behaviour.
Such concerns have allegedly led to Perez contemplating whether to 'sacrifice' Vinicius and recoup a big-money transfer fee for the winger this summer, as opposed to letting him leave for free when his contract expires in June 2024, and a potential sale could see Real Madrid step up their pursuit of long-term target Mbappe.
Mbappe, 24, was strongly linked with a move to Los Blancos last summer before penning a contract extension with PSG until the summer of 2024 with a one-year extension option.
Nevertheless, the Frenchman continues to be linked with an exit from the Parc des Princes and allegedly has just four months left to trigger the one-year extension clause in his contract to keep him at the club until June 2025.
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Amidst speculation about his future, Mbappe has enjoyed another prolific campaign in front of goal for PSG, netting 30 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions, including 18 strikes in 22 Ligue 1 matches – at least two more than any other player in the division.
Mbappe recently became PSG's all-time record goalscorer and his latest strike in the 4-2 win over Nantes increased his tally to 201 after 248 appearances for the Parisian giants since joining from Monaco in 2017.
Along with Real Madrid, Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Mbappe, but the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner has insisted that he remains "very happy" to play for PSG.
Speaking to reporters last weekend, the forward said: "For me it's a privilege to play here. I'm from Paris and being at PSG is special. I arrived when I was young and I've grown and matured a lot, on and off the pitch, since then.
"I don't think so - if I linked my future to the Champions League, and I don't want to disrespect the club, I would have gone very far [away]! I am here and I am very happy, and for the moment I'm not thinking about anything other than making PSG happy."
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have also been linked with a potential summer swoop for Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland, with one report claiming that they are 'seriously considering an audacious approach' for the current Premier League top scorer.
Oliver Thomas
