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Vinicius Junior's decaying relationship with Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is said to have reached 'red-hot' levels of tension as the Brazil star considers his future.
The winger reacted furiously to being substituted with 18 minutes to go in Madrid's 2-1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona on Sunday.
Their already tense relationship has escalated to an 'unsustainable conflict' and Vinicius feels his status has been disrespected, according to Spanish outlet AS.
But Alonso - who joined in the summer and has Los Blancos five points clear at the top of LaLiga - is said to have the full backing of Madrid's hierarchy in any dispute.
The 43-year-old is reportedly 'seriously angry' with Vinicius' behaviour, an attitude which is echoed in the corridors of power at the Santiago Bernabeu.
All this means that Vinicius is considering trying to leave as early as January, AS claims, although the 25-year-old ideally wants to stay and even extend his contract beyond its 2027 expiry date if the situation heals.
Vinicius Jr is reportedly thinking of leaving Real Madrid due to an 'unsustainable' relationship with Xabi Alonso
The pair clashed at the weekend as Alonso hauled him off in their 2-1 win over Barcelona
He and Madrid reportedly had a conversation earlier this season about how his influence had been limited and he came away satisfied, only for things to carry on.
Vinicius has only completed a full 90 minutes on three occasions this season and has also been forced to come off the bench three times.
With Kylian Mbappe finding his best form, and Jude Bellingham regaining his footing after his injury, he is not considered to be the star of the show despite feeling that he works hard at both ends.
Couple that with the fact that Vinicius has had a hard time facing racist abuse from Spanish crowds ever since joining in 2018, and it leads to a scenario where he feels he may be better respected elsewhere.
On Sunday, he and Alonso clashed in front of everybody at the Bernabeu after he was haueld off.
When Vinicius saw his number flash up on the board, he repeatedly asked, ‘Me?!’ before calling out, ‘Coach, coach!’ as he reluctantly made his way to the bench.
While Alonso kept his distance, cameras caught him looking frustrated and muttering, ‘Come on, Vini, damn it…’
After shaking hands with his team-mate and close friend Rodrygo, Vinicius’s protests grew louder.
‘Always me,’ he said, raising his arms and addressing Alonso’s assistant, Sebas Parrilla. ‘I’m leaving the team. It’s better if I leave – I’m leaving,’ he continued, before heading straight down the tunnel.
The winger then proceeded to return to the bench where he watched the rest of the match as if nothing had happened. And in the closing moments he stood alongside goalscorers Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, both of whom had also been replaced.
The Brazilian was implicated again when he became involved in a post-match brawl between the two teams.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal had incensed the Madrid fans and players prior to kick-off when he said they 'rob and complain'.
And Dani Carvajal proved the comments had not gone down well, with the right-back caught on camera appearing to tell the Kopa Trophy winner that he talks too much.
A late challenge by Pedri to draw a second yellow card seemed to be the spark that lit the fuse, as both sets of teams became involved in a temporary scuffle - which resumed at the final whistle a few minutes later with police forced to intervene.
Vinicius Jr looked to be one of the protagonists of the melee and had to be held back by a member of backroom staff, while five players were yellow carded and Madrid substitute Andriy Lunin was sent off.
Alonso attempted to downplay both Vinicius' reaction to being substituted, and the scenes at the final whistle.
The Los Blancos boss said: 'There are different personalities in any dressing room. Right now we will enjoy the win, then we’ll have a conversation, for sure.
'The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal. It’s true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.
'Franco (Mastantuono) wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, "Are you taking me off?" And I said, "Yes." Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn’t very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I’m very happy with Vinicius’s performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going.'
The Brazilian did not choose to comment on his departure from the field, and said that while Madrid 'did not mean to offend anyone' with the on-field clashes, insisted that 'we have to defend our side'.
He told Real Madrid TV after the game: 'We try to maintain a balance, but it's not always possible. We didn't want to offend anyone, not Barca players, nor the fans. We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to defend our side, and that's how it was today.'
