Real Madrid have told Vinicius Jr's camp that their latest contract offer is final, according to Spanish publication Marca, with the La Liga club reportedly opening the door to a sale this summer if the Brazilian turns it down.
The 26-year-old reported back for pre-season training on Monday, but speculation over a move to Arsenal continues. The Gunners have launched a stunning move to sign the Real Madrid star as Mikel Arteta looks to add quality to his title-winning squad.
Contract stalemate
Vinicius has scored 128 goals in 375 appearances for Real Madrid. His current deal expires next summer, and the La Liga giants have spent months trying to agree a renewal. Last week, Real opened further talks, but they have now informed the player's representatives that the latest offer is final, with no further increase or another round of negotiations planned.
According to Marca, if Vinicius accepts, his contract will be renewed. If he rejects it, Madrid will be prepared to sell him this summer to prevent him from entering the final year of his deal and leaving for free.
Roc Nation president heading to London
Roc Nation Sports president Michael R. Yormark confirmed on Monday morning that he is travelling to London. In an Instagram post, he wrote: "London, here I come. Let's go!" The post has added further intrigue to the ongoing speculation around Vinicius's future.
On Sunday, Roc Nation took the unusual step of hitting out at "fake and damaging" reports in a statement shared by Yormark on Instagram. It said: "Roc Nation Sports International and our entire team cannot stand idle when unprofessional and uninformed media publish fake and damaging information for attention-seeking purposes."
The statement continued: "This is especially unacceptable when it personally targets our clients without any foundation. It is disruptive, harmful and libellous. Media outlets and journalists need to hold themselves more accountable." It is not clear whether the statement was about Vinicius and the Arsenal rumours or something else.
Arsenal's summer transfer plans
Arsenal have already bolstered their attacking options this month with the £34m signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. They are also working on a deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, although their opening offer has been rejected.
Speaking over the weekend, Arteta said: "A lot is happening. We all know about the context of this transfer window. From ownership to the board, the sporting director and myself, we know that we want to take this club to a different level. That is going to require a better squad, better individuals."
He added: "We have identified where we have opportunities to grow and to improve and to evolve our game and what is going to be needed to achieve that. Hopefully, very soon we can start to put things in a very concrete way."
