Real Madrid would have increased their offer for Vitinha to €150M for the next transfer window

Real Madrid is already beginning to project its sporting future well beyond the current 2025-26 campaign. While the club's directors are avoiding a public evaluation of the coaching staff—especially as Álvaro Arbeloa navigates a season that has yet to truly ignite—behind the scenes, the search for a new tactical "brain" has intensified. The mission is clear: Madrid must find the equilibrium it lost following the departures of historical anchors Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.

Within the analysis carried out by the Merengue technical department, one name has emerged with significant force: Vítor Machado Ferreira, better known as Vitinha. The Portuguese international has evolved into the heartbeat of Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain, earning praise for his ability to dictate the tempo of the game and his surgical precision in ball distribution.

Real Madrid views Vitinha as the perfect profile to restore the leadership and control that has gone missing in the middle of the park. Sources in Spain suggest that Vitinha may have a specific release clause in his contract that could facilitate an exit from the Parc des Princes. However, the operation remains complex; it wouldn’t just be a matter of paying the fee—Madrid needs the player himself to take the first step and signal his desire to trade the Eiffel Tower for the Santiago Bernabéu. The estimated investment? A staggering €150 million, a sum Florentino Pérez is reportedly willing to sanction for a generational talent.

While Vitinha is the immediate "flavor of the month," the scouting department has never taken its eyes off the ultimate prize: Rodrigo Hernández. The Manchester City star and former Ballon d’Or winner remains the dream signing for the Madrid board.

The primary hurdle for a move involving Rodri is his physical status. After recovering from a long-term injury that kept him sidelined for a significant portion of the last year, Madrid is monitoring his every move. The club needs to be 100% certain that the Spaniard can return to the "god-like" level he displayed when he conquered Europe with both club and country.

The possibility of Rodri landing in Madrid also hinges on external variables—specifically the future of Pep Guardiola. If Guardiola decides to end his tenure in Manchester, the tactical and competitive landscape of the Cityzens could shift drastically, potentially prompting Rodri to seek a new challenge in his home city. Furthermore, Rodri’s decision on whether to renew his contract at the Etihad will determine if a transfer is even mathematically possible in 2026.

For Real Madrid, securing a world-class playmaker is no longer just a "want"—it is a strategic necessity. As the club attempts to close the chapter on the era that revolutionized European football, the arrival of a player like Vitinha or Rodri would mark the true beginning of a new competitive cycle.

Whether it’s the flair of the Portuguese star or the industrial dominance of the Spanish anchor, the Bernabéu is preparing for a blockbuster summer. The hunt for the next "Grand Master" of the Madrid midfield has officially begun.