Arsenal are exploring a potential deal to sign Brazil international Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid. The interest comes as Vinicius Jr has entered the final year of his contract with the Spanish club. Reports indicate that if a new agreement cannot be reached, Real Madrid might consider selling the player rather than risk losing him without a transfer fee next summer.
The Premier League champions are aiming to enhance their left-wing attacking options. Vinicius Jr is among several forward targets Arsenal are considering, with Julian Alvarez, Yan Diomande, and Bradley Barcola also noted as players of interest.
Vinicius Jr’s contract and Real Madrid’s stance
There has been no direct club-to-club contact between Arsenal and Real Madrid regarding Vinicius Jr. However, the interest from Arsenal is described as real. The 26-year-old winger’s future at Real Madrid is uncertain, particularly following the return of manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho, who has signed a three-year deal at the Bernabéu, has reportedly told the club he wishes for all key players to remain. Despite this, Real Madrid could potentially cash in on Vinicius Jr if a contract extension is not agreed upon. The player and Mourinho have reportedly been in contact since an incident last season and are prepared to start the new campaign together.
Terry Gibson, a Spanish football expert, mentioned that Vinicius Jr’s wage demands are a point of discussion. He stated that Vinicius Jr is currently on 15m Euros a year net, with Real Madrid offering 20m Euros, while the player is seeking 30m Euros. This contract situation has reportedly been ongoing for 18 months.
Other transfer market activities
Arsenal’s pursuit of attacking talent extends beyond Vinicius Jr. The club is also prepared to potentially break the British transfer record for Argentina striker Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. Furthermore, RB Leipzig rejected an £85.4m bid from Real Madrid for Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, who is also a target for Liverpool and Manchester City.
In other transfer news, Inter Milan are interested in signing Argentina defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham. AS Roma is reportedly frustrated by Manchester United‘s lack of urgency in making a concrete offer for France midfielder Manu Kone. Juventus are exploring a move for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, having held discussions with the Portugal midfielder’s representatives.
Chelsea rejected a third bid from Como for England defender Trevoh Chalobah. Napoli is interested in Chelsea‘s former France centre-back Benoit Badiashile. Julian Brandt has received offers from both Leeds United and Ajax after leaving Borussia Dortmund as a free agent. Nottingham Forest submitted an improved £17.5m bid for Feyenoord‘s Dutch right-back Givairo Read. West Ham rejected an offer from Brentford for Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, stating he is not for sale. Middlesbrough are interested in signing Manchester United’s Czech goalkeeper Radek Vitek, who was on loan at Bristol City last season.
Arsenal has already made additions to their squad, including the £34m signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge this week. Tzolis followed Piero Hincapié and goalkeeper Illan Meslier as Arsenal’s third addition. Bruno Guimarães could also move to the Emirates, with Arsenal keen on signing the Brazil international.
Vinicius Jr scored 22 goals for Real Madrid last season. He was also the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up.
Source: bbc.co.uk
As News-GB.org's Sports Reporter, Eleanor Vance reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name on long-form athlete profiles. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Bath and completed an NCTJ diploma. Eleanor lives in Bath, where she swims competitively and follows British athletics. “A profile is only as good as the questions behind it.”