Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid officials disagree about attacker’s future

Real Madrid officials trust Zinedine Zidane to manage their star-studded squad, but they strongly disagree with his evaluation of one attacker.

Not everyone at Real Madrid is on the same page about the ability of Vinicius to lead the team’s attack moving forward. Club officials are still high on the Brazilian’s long-term future, but manager Zinedine Zidane is ready to let him leave if a sufficient transfer offer comes in.

According to Marca, PSG officials are keeping a close eye on the situation. They are more than happy to add Vinicius to their front line that already includes Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Zidane doesn’t seem overly concerned about that possibility.

Zidane counting on Eden Hazard to come back strong

Instead, he prefers to count on Eden Hazard’s ability to bounce back from what is widely considered to be a horrific first season with the La Liga giants. Zidane’s decision to start the talented, but inconsistent Belgian over Vinicius on a regular basis after the season’s restart called the Brazilian’s future into question. Zidane has done nothing to publicly dispel the notion that he’s unconvinced with Vinicius in recent weeks.

The question is whether or not Zidane will actively push for Vinicius to be offloaded. Making that kind of demand might put unnecessary tension into his relationship with the higher-ups at Real Madrid. He may need significant support from club officials to fund the other transfer moves he’s like to make this summer.

That likely means it will be up to PSG to initiate any meaningful talks about a move for Vinicius. Per Spanish sources, officials at the French club are even willing to take the player in on loan if that is more palatable to Real officials. A loan move could easily allow Vinicius to secure valuable playing time for another European club without forcing Zidane to play an attacker that he doesn’t entirely trust.

If Vinicius is forced out at the club, it will only heap more pressure on Hazard to live up to his significant transfer price tag next season. Fans at Real Madrid are already rumbling about his lack of fitness upon his arrival in Spain. If his arrival causes another talented young attacker to be offloaded it could easily turn fan opinion against him in a very ugly manner.

As such, Vinicius’ short-term future at Real Madrid is an intriguing story to watch over the coming days. It will tell everyone a lot about who really holds the power at one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.