Vinicius Jr will remain at Real Madrid despite Arsenal's interest, with head coach Jose Mourinho intervening to block a potential transfer. Sky Sports reported that the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is determined to keep the Brazilian, scuppering Mikel Arteta's hopes of a landmark signing.
The forward is entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Bernabeu, but Real Madrid will not sanction a sale while there is confidence that he will sign a new deal. Arsenal had shown genuine willingness to fund a move, identifying Vinicius as a considerable upgrade on their current options, according to football.london, with Arteta giving his blessing for the transfer.
New Contract on the Horizon
Vinicius and the Spanish giants are poised for fresh discussions, with the Brazilian expected to commit to a new long-term contract. Club president Florentino Perez is central to the negotiations and has made no secret of his desire to keep the forward. BBC Sport revealed earlier this week that Vinicius was open to staying but wished "to feel loved" with his new contract reflecting his significance to the squad.
Real Madrid head into the new season aiming to topple Barcelona, who won La Liga under Hansi Flick last term. Despite missing out on domestic honours, Vinicius contributed 22 goals and 14 assists across all competitions last campaign.
Arsenal's Transfer Challenges
Arsenal, who begin their Premier League title defence against Coventry City on August 21, have found the transfer window challenging. Christos Tzolis is their most recent acquisition from Club Brugge, but they missed out on targets Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga, who joined Chelsea and Manchester City respectively. Any deal for Vinicius would have surpassed £100 million and would have likely affected Gabriel Martinelli's future, with the club reportedly open to offers for the Brazilian winger.
