Arsenal are ready to make an offer for Vinicius Junior, amid claims a decision has been made regarding the Real Madrid star’s future.
Contract talks and wage demands
Vinicius Jr, accompanied by his representatives, was pictured arriving for crucial contract talks at the Real Madrid headquarters on Wednesday morning. The Brazil international's current deal is set to expire next summer and the Spanish giants are keen to tie him down to fresh terms.
Vinicius Jr, who currently earns around €17.5 million a year, is reportedly looking for closer to €30 million to sign an extension. However, reports in Spain state that Real Madrid have offered around €22 million annually as they look to reach a compromise with the 26-year-old.
Arsenal's bid and Madrid's valuation
With the Gunners said to be growing in confidence about signing Vinicius Jr, there was an interesting transfer twist overnight on Tuesday as Cadena CER claimed that Madrid’s ‘best and final’ offer had been rejected by the forward. As such, the same publication reported on Wednesday evening that Arsenal are now ready to make an offer worth €120 million (£102.2 million) in total for the Real Madrid No7, with €100 million (£85.7 million) fixed and a further €20 million (£17.1 million) in add-ons.
ESPN Brazil have claimed that Madrid would demand a transfer fee of around €150 million (£128 million) to sell Vinicius this summer, which would see the player comfortably become Arsenal’s club record signing, eclipsing the £105 million paid to West Ham for Declan Rice in the summer of 2023.
Conflicting reports
In a further twist, however, Sky Sports have stated that Vinicius Jr is now expected to stay at Real Madrid following discussions with the club's hierarchy.
