Real Madrid points to Vitinha as Luka Modrić’s successor in a strategic movement for the midfield
Real Madrid has put his eyes on the talented midfielder of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Vitinha, as its main objective for the summer signing market of 2025. With Luka Modrić, the legendary Croatian, about to say goodbye to the club after the Club World Cup that will begin on June 14 in the United States, the whites see in the 25-year-old Portuguese to the ideal heir midfield and become the beat of the team in the coming years under the direction of Xabi Alonso. This decision marks the beginning of a new era at Santiago Bernabéu, where the search for a worthy successor for Modrić has become an absolute priority.
Vitinha has captured Real Madrid’s attention thanks to its impressive performance in the 2024-25 season, especially after its outstanding performance in the Champions League final, where PSG crushed Inter Milan 5-0. The midfielder, who combines Toni Kroos’s game vision with Modrić’s ball control, according to analysts such as Owen Hargreaves, has proven to be a complete player, capable of dictating the rhythm, breaking lines and providing balance both in attack and defense. His statistics support this admiration: in 50 games this season, he has scored 7 goals and given 2 assists, with a 93% precision in the pass and a remarkable impact on the 16 Champions League matches, where he added 2 goals and 1 assistance.
The interest of Real Madrid is not new, but has intensified after the confirmation of the departure of Modrić, who will leave the club after 13 years of service and 28 titles, including six Champions League. At 39, the Croatian has been the brain of the Madrid midfield, but his departure opens a vacancy that the club seeks to fill with a young and dynamic player who can lead during the next decade. Vitinha, under contract with PSG until 2027, fits perfectly in this profile, although its transfer will not be an easy task. Sources close to the Parisian club indicate that PSG values the player in more than 100 million euros and considers his departure as a hard blow after his first continental title.
Xabi Alonso, who assumed the bench after the exit of Carlo Ancelotti, has identified Vitinha as a key piece for his tactical vision, which demands a versatile midfield and capable of pressing high. The Basque coach, who knows the European market well after passing through Bayer Leverkusen, sees in the Portuguese a mixture of intelligence and physical that can complement players such as Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. However, the operation faces significant obstacles. PSG, backed by its financial stability and recent success under Luis Enrique, has no intention of facilitating the departure of one of its pillars, and negotiations with the Vitinha agent, Jorge Mendes, are still in a preliminary stage.
Real Madrid, known for its persistence in the market, could resort to an offer close to 120 million euros to tempt Parisians, especially if Vitinha shows interest in joining a winning project like that of whites. Meanwhile, other names such as Florian Wirtz and Angelo Stiller are also on the list, but Vitinha is emerging as the favorite due to their stylistic similarity with Modrić. With the Club World Cup as the first challenge for Alonso, the incorporation of a midfielder of this caliber could define the course of the team in his search to dominate both in Europe and globally.
