{
  "id": 14650556,
  "title": "French icon urges Real Madrid to sell struggling forward: ‘Better for him to leave’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/french-icon-urges-real-madrid-to-sell-struggling-forward-better-for",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-15T08:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/french-icon-urges-real-madrid-082000606.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former France international Marcel Desailly has urged Real Madrid to part ways with struggling forward Vinicius Junior, claiming that “Better for him to leave.” The Brazilian’s contract negotiations had dragged on for an extended period before he eventually signed a new long-term deal with the Spanish club. However, since signing the contract, Vinicius has struggled to reach his previous heights. Desailly questions whether keeping both Mbappe and Vinicius on the field is the right approach for Madrid going forward. “I think Real Madrid should have let Vinicius leave. They need to look for other players,” Desailly said. Vinicius Jr. is currently experiencing a difficult moment at Real Madrid, having received a red card against Villarreal, which has ruled him out of four La Liga matches. Desailly's comments come in light of Vinicius' performance issues, as the partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius has not proven successful. Desailly believes that Vinicius should be given the chance to erase the negative thoughts and opinions directed towards him. While Desailly raises valid concerns about the tactical difficulties Real Madrid faces when both attacking superstars are on the pitch, selling Vinicius may not be the immediate solution to their tactical problems. The 26-year-old is an exceptional one-v-one threat and has scored crucial goals in Champions League finals to help Madrid secure the trophy, making it difficult to replace him if he were to leave.",
  "summary": "Real Madrid began a new project under Jose Mourinho in the summer, and one of the biggest talking points at the time was whether Vinicius Junior would sign a new contract with the club.The Brazilian��...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Champions League: Mourinho snubs Real Madrid, PSG, names best team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/champions-league-mourinho-snubs-real-madrid-psg-names-best-team",
        "published": "2026-10-15T05:18:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Real Madrid’s MVP defends Vinicius and explains his role in comeback win vs Roma: ‘What they are doing to him is unbelievable’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/real-madrids-mvp-defends-vinicius-and-explains-his-role-in-comeback",
        "published": "2026-10-15T07:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}