From Vinicius and the World's Best to the Biggest Investment in Football: "5 Hot Files" Still Open at Real Madrid

Vinicius Junior rediscovered his best form at the 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Brazil and Real Madrid winger reminded everyone exactly what he can do.

Across five matches with the Selecao, Vinicius scored four goals and laid on one assist.

His brilliance still wasn't enough. Brazil bowed out in the round of 16, beaten 2-1 by Norway.

Those performances matter, though. They hand Vinicius a strong hand in negotiations to renew his Real Madrid deal, which expires on 30 June 2027.

All of which leaves the Madrid hierarchy weighing up a set of options over the winger's future, as follows:

* First: meet Vinicius's demands and renew his contract as quickly as possible.

* Second: end the negotiations and put Vinicius up for sale this summer.

* Third: keep Vinicius for the new season, then let him leave "for free" when his contract runs out.

Now Madrid must pick one of these routes and settle the matter fast, particularly if Vinicius Junior refuses to soften his financial demands.

Real Madrid need a midfielder who can dictate the tempo and carry the ball cleanly from back to front. Everyone knows it.

That type of player has been missing at the Bernabeu ever since Toni Kroos retired in 2024, with Croatian legend Luka Modric following him out the door a year later.

One big name emerged as a candidate at the end of the 2025-2026 season: Rodri Hernandez, the Spain international who anchors the Manchester City midfield.

Florentino Perez, though, hesitated over the deal for a few key reasons:

* Firstly: the player's numerous injuries in the recent period.

* Secondly: the impact of these injuries on the player's level.

* Thirdly: the player's advancing age, "30 years".

Other names duly entered the frame as Real looked to reinforce the midfield of Jose Mourinho's first team.

The story didn't end there, though. A major twist arrived after the 2026 World Cup.

Rodri rediscovered his very best form, technically and physically, across the tournament on American soil, scooping the Best Player award. That performance forced Perez to think again about signing him.

Cadena SER then dropped a bombshell, reporting that the Merengues dressing room is pushing hard to bring Rodri in.

Now Perez must make his call: sign Rodri, chase a different name, or roll the dice and leave the position vacant once more.

Leaving that gap unfilled would be a huge gamble. It would mean leaning on Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde together, and the pair are on famously bad terms.

French star Michael Olise is Florentino Perez's biggest dream. The Bayern Munich winger sits right at the top of the Real Madrid president's wishlist.

Olise dazzled for Bayern in 2025-2026, then carried that form into the last World Cup on American, Mexican and Canadian soil.

His price has soared in the summer transfer market as a result, with the Bayern board insisting he remains a fundamental part of the squad.

But every reliable source suggests Bayern may reconsider. The trigger is a sum exceeding 222 million euros, the value of the most expensive deal in football history.

Brazilian star Neymar da Silva Junior moved from Catalan giants Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 for his release clause, then worth 222 million euros.

Bayern Munich may therefore sell Michael Olise to Real Madrid's first team this summer for a sum ranging from 230 to 250 million euros.

Olise would solve plenty of problems by officially joining the Real Madrid ranks, as follows:

* Firstly: solving the crisis at right wing, a position suffering a clear shortage.

* Secondly: creating balance in the first team, between the right and left wings.

* Thirdly: finding extra solutions in playmaking, away from the Brazilian and French duo of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

Perez must settle this quickly. He can keep chasing Olise for a record fee, chase other options, or rely on what he already has in the team.

Real Madrid have completed the signing of French centre-back Ibrahima Konate this summer, prising him away from Liverpool. Florentino Perez has landed his man.

Konate, 27, joins a Real Madrid defensive unit that already boasts:

* 1/ Germany's Antonio Rudiger.

* 2/ Brazil's Eder Militao.

* 3/ Spain's Dean Huijsen.

* 4/ Spain's Raul Asencio.

One deal may not be enough, though. Reports in recent weeks suggest Jose Mourinho wants another defender through the door.

Several names have already been thrown into the mix for the first team, among them "Italy's Alessandro Bastoni, Germany's Nico Schlotterbeck and Croatia's Josko Gvardiol".

Chatter around that extra defensive signing has since gone quiet. Whether the idea has been shelved for good or simply put on hold, nobody knows.

At last. Florentino Perez and Real Madrid must settle one of the summer's thorniest questions: which names officially leave the first team.

Reports have clashed over several players, staying or going. Here they are:

* First: Spanish centre-back Raul Asencio.

* Second: French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

* Third: Argentine winger and playmaker Franco Mastantuono.

* Fourth: Moroccan winger Brahim Diaz.

* Fifth: Spanish striker Gonzalo Garcia.

The latest reports suggest Real Madrid are weighing up loan moves for Mastantuono and Garcia, while cutting ties permanently with Diaz, Asencio and Camavinga.

Offloading Asencio, Diaz, Camavinga and Mastantuono carries a clear consequence. Real Madrid would then need to reinforce midfield, centre-back and the right wing.

Losing that many players without signing replacements this summer could thin out the first-team squad, all amid a punishing fixture list and the heavy fatigue of the new 2026-2027 season.

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